Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department plans to review or update the statutory framework for private hire licensing to reflect changes in technology and operating models since the legislation was introduced.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime in England is archaic, fragmented and inconsistent. We are considering, holistically, how the regulation of the sector could be reformed to achieve the best overall outcome for passengers by enabling the sector to deliver the range of safe, available, affordable and accessible services they need. The Department issues guidance to licensing authorities in England to help achieve consistency in the application of licensing requirements. We are seeking a power through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to enable the setting of national standards to ensure robust standards are applied by all licensing authorities.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms exist to help ensure consistency in the application of private hire licensing rules across local authorities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime in England is archaic, fragmented and inconsistent. We are considering, holistically, how the regulation of the sector could be reformed to achieve the best overall outcome for passengers by enabling the sector to deliver the range of safe, available, affordable and accessible services they need. The Department issues guidance to licensing authorities in England to help achieve consistency in the application of licensing requirements. We are seeking a power through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to enable the setting of national standards to ensure robust standards are applied by all licensing authorities.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the private hire vehicle licensing framework in supporting traditional private hire operators and app-based platforms operating across multiple local authority areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime in England is archaic, fragmented and inconsistent. We are considering, holistically, how the regulation of the sector could be reformed to achieve the best overall outcome for passengers by enabling the sector to deliver the range of safe, available, affordable and accessible services they need. The Department issues guidance to licensing authorities in England to help achieve consistency in the application of licensing requirements. We are seeking a power through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to enable the setting of national standards to ensure robust standards are applied by all licensing authorities.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance she provides to local licensing authorities on what constitutes an operating base for private hire operators; and whether the Department has assessed the adequacy of existing definitions in the context of app-based operator models.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
No guidance has been issued on this matter. An ‘operating base’ is not defined in law. All guidance is kept under review and the need for any amendments or additions considered. The Department consulted on revised best practice guidance in 2022 and it was subsequently updated in 2023.
The licensing regime in England is archaic, fragmented and inconsistent. We are considering, holistically, how the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles could be reformed to achieve the best overall outcome for passengers by enabling the sector to deliver the range of safe, available, affordable and accessible services they need.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help mitigate changes in construction costs and land prices linked to anticipated HS2 development in Crewe; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those changes on local public projects.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of the Northern Growth Strategy, the government set out its intention to ultimately deliver a North-South new line between Birmingham and Manchester. This is not a reinstatement of HS2 and the government is yet to determine exactly what will be delivered and to what specification. Significant further work is required to develop plans before such decisions are made. We will engage with stakeholders, including Local Authorities, as this work takes place.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is taking to reduce the time taken to process driving licence renewal applications referred to its medical department.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.
The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26.
To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support the transition required under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that public charging provision, grid capacity, and local authority support keep pace with the increased number of electric vehicles expected as a result of the zero emission vehicles mandate on the automotive industry.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As of March 2025, there are over 118,000 public chargers across the UK. Both the 2024 NAO ‘public chargepoints for electric vehicles’ report, and the Climate Change Committee 2025 Progress report, concluded that charge point rollout is on track.
The majority of public chargepoints will be delivered by industry, who have already committed £6 billion of private sector investment before 2030. The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities in England to leverage significant private investment and is expected to deliver over 100,000 further local public charge points.
We are confident that the Grid can support the transition to EVs. The National Energy System Operator is investing over £58 billion to modernise and expand the electricity network.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support consumers to switch to electric vehicles.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has committed £7.5 billion over the next decade to support industry and the public as they transition to zero emission vehicles.
This includes the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which has already supported over 80,000 drivers who have benefited from discounts of up to £3,750 across more than 40 models. This also includes the £600 million funding to support the rollout of charging infrastructure, with 118,321 public chargers installed already as of 1 March 2026.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 introducing a railcard for adults over the age of 30 who rely on regular rail travel for work in (a) the north and (b) other areas of England; and whether her Department plans to amend existing railcard schemes to support working age passengers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Adults aged over 30 may be eligible for a number of national and regional railcards. Train operating companies also offer a range of products, such as season tickets, which can be used to support better value regular travel to work.
The Government has no current plans to review existing concessionary discounts. However, the Railways Bill gives Great British Railways the flexibility to update and expand concessionary offers as passenger needs change.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take legislative steps to require cyclists to wear helmets.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government strongly encourages cyclists to wear helmets, and this is reflected in The Highway Code, but there are no plans to mandate this.
A previous review of this matter concluded that the safety benefits of mandating helmets would be likely to be outweighed by the fact that it would put some people off cycling, thereby reducing the wider health and environmental benefits.