Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase Vehicle Excise Duty rates for motorcycles.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), sometimes known as 'road tax' or 'car tax', is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different rates apply to cars, vans, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and motorcycles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions.
The HGV levy ensures UK and non-UK HGVs contribute when using the UK’s road network. Revenue from vehicle taxes such as VED and the HGV levy helps to fund vital public services and infrastructure, including investment in roads and transport.
The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of vehicle taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the economic consequences of a decision not to proceed with expansion at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The needs case for Heathrow Expansion is set out in the draft HENPS with the supporting costs and benefits forming the economic case set out in the Heathrow Expansion Appraisal Report (HEAR). This assesses the economic, connectivity and environmental impacts of Heathrow expansion against a counterfactual without expansion. The estimated benefits of expansion represent the difference between these modelled scenarios and are presented in two ways, the first the welfare benefits of expanding Heathrow in line with the departments Transport Analysis Guidance; and secondly, an assessment of the GDP benefits of expanding Heathrow.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date her Department first informed each relevant local authority that its scheme would be withdrawn or removed from the Major Road Network and Large Local Majors programme following the review announced in her Written Ministerial Statement of 26 March 2026, HCWS1466.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Following a review of the Major Road Network/Large Local Majors (MRN/LLM) Programme, relevant local authorities were informed that their schemes were being removed from the Programme on 8th October 2026.
The above confirmation was part of the finalisation of the MRN/LLM Programme Review and letters were sent to Mayors, local MPs and Council Leaders on this date.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether all Government departments have agreed to the proposed designation of Heathrow expansion as Critical National Growth Infrastructure in the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of developing the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS), the Department for Transport engaged with relevant Government departments on its content, including the proposed designation of development covered by the HENPS as Critical National Growth Infrastructure. The draft HENPS also went through the process of collective agreement where clearance was obtained from a wide range of departments across government to publish the draft HENPS and accompanying documents for consultation.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2026 to Question 30328 on Transport: Infrastructure, which Government departments were consulted on the proposed designation of Heathrow expansion as Critical National Growth Infrastructure; and whether any departments raised objections to that designation.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of developing the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS), the Department for Transport engaged with relevant Government departments on its content, including the proposed designation of development covered by the HENPS as Critical National Growth Infrastructure. The draft HENPS also went through the process of collective agreement where clearance was obtained from a wide range of departments across government to publish the draft HENPS and accompanying documents for consultation.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of UK Export Finance support for the tooling and working-capital requirements of automotive suppliers.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
UK Export Finance (UKEF) can offer guarantees through its Export Development Guarantee (EDG) and General Export Facility (GEF) to help current and prospective exporters of all sizes and in all sectors, including the automotive industry, access working capital loans to support or extend their export activities.
For instance, in July 2025, UKEF announced it was providing a £1 billion EDG to Ford UK, supporting its long-term growth ambitions and helping its transition towards manufacturing electric vehicles. Meanwhile through the GEF, UKEF can offer support to smaller businesses looking to access working capital finance. Since its introduction, UKEF has provided over £1 billion in support to hundreds of exporting businesses through the GEF.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 4268 on Driving Licences: Electronic Government, what progress the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has made in bringing all its online services into compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 level AA; and whether completion remains scheduled for February 2027.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services currently meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 requirements. Work is underway to bring all services into compliance with WCAG 2.2 level AA, the latest accessibility standard.
Almost half of DVLA’s online services now comply with WCAG 2.2. While all services may not meet the DVLA’s internal target of February 2027, work is ongoing to bring the remaining services into compliance as soon as possible.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 26119 on East West Rail Line, what is her Department's latest estimated date for the commencement of passenger services between Oxford and Milton Keynes; and what was the estimated commencement date on (a) 1 January 2026 and (b) 1 July 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department continues to work closely with Chiltern Railways and other partners to confirm a start date for the first East West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes. Before services between Oxford and Milton Keynes commence, not only have physical alterations to the trains been necessary, but also software and systems changes remain to be completed. Driver training will need to have been completed. Winslow Station also needs to be fully handed over, and future staffing arrangements also remain to be agreed.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason former members of the Armed Forces who left service before 6 April 1975 were excluded from the preserved and deferred pension arrangements introduced from that date.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
Prior to 1975 there were no rights to preserved pensions in any public or private pension schemes. Most schemes had very restricted qualifying criteria for the award of pensions. For the Armed Forces, occupational pensions were awarded only if a member had completed at least 16 years reckonable service as an officer or 22 years reckonable service as another rank. Reckonable service is paid service after age 21 for officers or after age 18 for other ranks. Gratuities (lump- sum payments) were awarded to those who did not serve long enough for a pension but had completed at least nine years reckonable service as an officer or 12 years reckonable service as an Other Rank.
The Social Security Act 1973 brought about changes by requiring all pension schemes (not only Armed Forces pensions) to preserve pension rights for those who left service after 6th April 1975 having completed at least five years qualifying service and having attained the age of 26. Later Social Security Acts reduced the qualifying period from five years to two years and removed the age qualification requirement. These changes were not made retrospective. Individuals receive the benefits in accordance with the scheme rules in place at the time of their retirement.
Given the length of time since the change was introduced, I cannot say for certain whether an assessment was made at the time for extending those rights to personnel who had left before this change was introduced. However, it has long been a principle of public service pensions policy, and one that has been upheld by successive Governments, that improvements to pension schemes are not made retrospective.
Retrospection would add significantly to the cost of introducing any meaningful improvements to the scheme because, typically, legacy issues are common to other public service schemes in existence prior to the Social Security Act 1973 and not limited to just the Armed Forces. Where legacy issues are common across public sector schemes, a retrospective change implemented for the Armed Forces would certainly result in pressure from others for similar treatment. To concede retrospection for one group would place great pressure on other public service schemes. No specific estimate has been made of the cost of resolving these legacy issues.
I can confirm that there are no plans to reassess this position.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has undertaken any review of the position of former Armed Forces personnel who left service before 6 April 1975 after completing substantial periods of service but who are not entitled to an Armed Forces pension.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
Prior to 1975 there were no rights to preserved pensions in any public or private pension schemes. Most schemes had very restricted qualifying criteria for the award of pensions. For the Armed Forces, occupational pensions were awarded only if a member had completed at least 16 years reckonable service as an officer or 22 years reckonable service as another rank. Reckonable service is paid service after age 21 for officers or after age 18 for other ranks. Gratuities (lump- sum payments) were awarded to those who did not serve long enough for a pension but had completed at least nine years reckonable service as an officer or 12 years reckonable service as an Other Rank.
The Social Security Act 1973 brought about changes by requiring all pension schemes (not only Armed Forces pensions) to preserve pension rights for those who left service after 6th April 1975 having completed at least five years qualifying service and having attained the age of 26. Later Social Security Acts reduced the qualifying period from five years to two years and removed the age qualification requirement. These changes were not made retrospective. Individuals receive the benefits in accordance with the scheme rules in place at the time of their retirement.
Given the length of time since the change was introduced, I cannot say for certain whether an assessment was made at the time for extending those rights to personnel who had left before this change was introduced. However, it has long been a principle of public service pensions policy, and one that has been upheld by successive Governments, that improvements to pension schemes are not made retrospective.
Retrospection would add significantly to the cost of introducing any meaningful improvements to the scheme because, typically, legacy issues are common to other public service schemes in existence prior to the Social Security Act 1973 and not limited to just the Armed Forces. Where legacy issues are common across public sector schemes, a retrospective change implemented for the Armed Forces would certainly result in pressure from others for similar treatment. To concede retrospection for one group would place great pressure on other public service schemes. No specific estimate has been made of the cost of resolving these legacy issues.
I can confirm that there are no plans to reassess this position.