Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of current eyesight standards for driving; and whether her Department plans to review the regulations governing driver vision requirements.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All drivers, regardless of age, have a legal responsibility to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive.
On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over.
Once the consultation has concluded, we will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce a requirement for all drivers to have their eyesight tested by a qualified optometrist when applying for or renewing their driving licence.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All drivers, regardless of age, have a legal responsibility to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive.
On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over.
Once the consultation has concluded, we will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to replace the number-plate eyesight test with a standardised, clinically validated vision assessment.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
There are no plans to replace the number‑plate eyesight test.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99588, when her Department plans to publish the evaluation of the £3 bus fare cap.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published later this year.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support, including business rates relief, direct financial assistance, or other fiscal measures, is being offered to regional airports in England; and how this compares to the support provided to Heathrow and Gatwick.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. It is not possible for the Government to quantify, and therefore keep a record of, support received by airport, given different airports are subject to different regulatory and policy measures and vary greatly in size.
The government recognises the crucial role regional airports play in supporting thousands of local jobs, connecting communities to global opportunities, and strengthening social and economic ties across the four nations.
My department regularly engages with regional airports including through the Aviation Council, which includes a Regional Connectivity Working Group chaired by industry.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department will treat the transfer of Dartford Crossing toll revenues to a private Lower Thames Crossing operator as a loss of income to the Department.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the entity under this model and this means charges will be used towards keeping the crossings well‑maintained and journeys running smoothly for users. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, delivering better value for taxpayers and reducing the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local authorities have received funding from Government-funded schemes supporting the procurement of new buses, including zero-emission, electric, hydrogen and hybrid buses, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
My department has published which local authorities have received funding from Government-funded schemes to procure new buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme on gov.uk.1
The West Midlands Combined Authority also received £50m in 2021 for the Coventry All Electric Bus City.
In addition, various local authorities have used devolved funding schemes to procure new zero emission buses.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what policy reason route-level impact assessments were not published for ferry-dependent communities ahead of laying secondary legislation for the domestic maritime UK ETS.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is neither proportionate nor expected to conduct individual route-level impact assessments for all routes in scope of the ETS. An Impact Assessment was published alongside the main Authority Response to the "UK Emissions Trading Scheme Scope Expansion: maritime sector” consultation, which includes analysis of regional and distributional impacts.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timetable exists for the rollout of shore power and grid capacity upgrades at UK ports ahead of the UK ETS entering force for domestic maritime in July 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The policies in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, including the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) to domestic maritime, will encourage investment in maritime decarbonisation. Vessel operators and ports are best placed to determine the timeline for when they invest in shore power rollout.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she has any plans to expand automatic crash detection requirements to powered two wheel vehicles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Emergency call (eCall), an automatic crash notification system, is a legal requirement in mass produced new types of cars and light commercial vehicles since 31 March 2018. Whilst aftermarket approaches are available that can be utilised for other vehicle types, the Government has no current plans to extend this as a mandatory requirement for other vehicle types such as motorcycles.
We are considering plans to review the existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing, and licensing that take account of both long-standing plans in the Department for Transport and the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency, and proposals received from the motorcycle sector. More details will be set out in due course.