Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what role her Department has in overseeing the safety and adequacy of compulsory pilotage arrangements in UK waters; and whether her Department holds or reviews records relating to pilotage incidents involving vessels operating under compulsory pilotage.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The assessment and provision of pilotage services are matters for Competent Harbour Authorities (CHAs). Given the local knowledge and experience necessary, as well as wide variations between ports, they remain best placed to assess what arrangements are necessary.
The Department has responsibility for the effective and efficient functioning of the legislative framework and is content that current arrangements under the Pilotage Act 1987 remain fit for purpose. The Department does not hold any records relating to pilotage. However, these may be reviewed should there be an incident requiring investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and/or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the new Places of Renewal Fund will function as a VAT reclaim scheme, in the same way as the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme previously worked.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a new capital fund announced on 22 January 2026. This will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This is providing certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period. Support will be targeted at places of most need. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process, will be published in due course. The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will award grants for projects to cover capital works, rather than just the VAT element of a project, as is the case with the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In some cases the amount granted could be greater than just the VAT element currently funded.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund annually to consider its budget in line with inflation.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund, a new capital fund announced on 22 January 2026, will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This is providing certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support her Department will give to listed churches in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland once the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has ended.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Heritage funding is a devolved matter. However, listed places of worship in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have benefitted from VAT rebate grants from the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which ran from 2001 to 2026.
At Spending Reviews, the Devolved Governments receive Barnett consequentials as a proportion of overall departmental settlements, not specific funding lines or programmes. In last year’s Spending Review, Barnett consequentials were confirmed for Devolved Governments in the usual way, taking into account the overall DCMS allocation, which includes capital funding for the England only Places of Worship Renewal Fund. Decisions on how this funding is spent are for the Devolved Governments to take.
We are working closely with other funders in the sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship throughout the UK are maximised. The NLHF already offers grants for places of worship across all the UK and is currently investing £100m over 3 years through National Lottery Heritage Grants and a strategic initiative designed to provide targeted support to build capacity.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support her Department will give to churches at risk of closure that cannot apply for VAT reclaims on repairs through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, since it has allocated its budget for 2025/26.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This government is launching a new capital fund to support listed places of worship, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund. This will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This is providing certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period. Support will be targeted at places of most need. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process, will be published in due course.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department will announce the full details of the new Places of Renewal Fund.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be published in due course.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government Fleet Commitment is achieving its intended objectives across all categories of departmental vehicle use.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Through the Government Fleet Commitment (GFC), departments have been encouraged to develop and deliver their own fleet transition plans, recognising the range of use cases departmental fleets serve. An exemptions process is in place for categories of vehicle use which may not be suitable for transitioning to zero emission vehicles during the GFC target period, for example for practical or operational reasons. Further details are available at: Government fleet commitment - GOV.UK
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 119471 on Vehicle Certification Agency, what estimate she has made of the additional annual revenue generated from proposed fee increases; what proportion of the deficit that revenue will cover; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those fee increases on businesses using the Agency’s services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) reported a net deficit of £8.8m in its accounts for the 2024/25 financial year. Potential fee increases, if implemented would support the managing down of the deficit, with any remaining deficits are expected to be covered by efficiencies and additional income in other areas.
A consultation on the proposed fee increases has recently been completed, and the outputs are currently being evaluated.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118043, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of poster-based recruitment for driving examiner roles.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs (opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK. Over the last 12 months, DVSA has used the following online job sites to reach a wider pool of applicants:
The agency also displays posters in driving test centres as part of a wider mix of recruitment activity. All driving test centres have access to a centrally produced recruitment campaign poster to be displayed in their waiting rooms. However, posters are displayed only if DVSA is actively recruiting in the area.
For campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.
In December 2025, the agency introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently has data for only one complete and one ongoing campaign. This survey might contain some data about how effective posters are in generating applications for driving examiner roles, but it is too early to say.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118043, which online job sites the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has used to advertise driving examiner vacancies in the last 12 months.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs (opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK. Over the last 12 months, DVSA has used the following online job sites to reach a wider pool of applicants:
The agency also displays posters in driving test centres as part of a wider mix of recruitment activity. All driving test centres have access to a centrally produced recruitment campaign poster to be displayed in their waiting rooms. However, posters are displayed only if DVSA is actively recruiting in the area.
For campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage.
In December 2025, the agency introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently has data for only one complete and one ongoing campaign. This survey might contain some data about how effective posters are in generating applications for driving examiner roles, but it is too early to say.