Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what evidential basis she decided to include fiscal incentives for electric cars but not for low or zero-emission motorcycles, mopeds, or other L-Category vehicles in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
At Budget, Government announced the electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), which will ensure electric car drivers contribute fairly to using the roads and protect the long-term fiscal sustainability of the country. Alongside this, Government committed to providing £1.3 billion of additional funding for the Electric Car Grant, meaning more motorists can benefit from a discount of up to £3,750, reducing the upfront costs of these vehicles for consumers.
The Government's plug-in motorcycle grant is available until the end of financial year 2025/26 or when budgets have been exhausted, whichever comes first.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating the collection of STATS19 national collision statistics to allow for differentiation between motorcycles and mopeds.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The STATS19 collection already provides a differentiation for motorcycles by engine capacity, including a category for motorcycles under 50cc, with a breakdown as shown in the published statistics in data table RAS0502 available on the gov.uk website (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#vehicles-and-drivers-ras05)
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant and extend it beyond April 2026.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will continue at the same price threshold. The grant will close at the end of the 2025/26 FY or when budgets have been exhausted, whichever comes first.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will review the £10,000 price threshold applied to electric motorcycles for the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Plug-in Motorcycle Grant will continue at the same price threshold. The grant will close at the end of the 2025/26 FY or when budgets have been exhausted, whichever comes first.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made air travel arrangements for direct flights with any self declared state recognised by other countries.
Answered by Mike Kane
In order for an international direct flight to take place, the relevant airports need to be designated as international customs airports.
Under the Chicago Convention, only the state with sovereignty over the territory in which an airport is located may designate that airport as an international customs airport, and grant permission for flights to operate between the UK and its territory. Making arrangements to operate direct flights to airports not so designated and without such permission would place the UK in breach of its obligations to respect that state’s rights under the Convention.
Furthermore, rights to operate direct flights would require an Air Services Agreement to be in place between the UK and the state with sovereignty over the relevant territory.