Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the UK Emissions Trading Scheme once the International Maritime Organisation rules come into force.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Addressing international emissions from shipping is critical and it is important action is taken globally through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). If the IMO Net-Zero Framework is introduced, the Government will review the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the system for operators.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104846, what assessment has been made of the risk that AI initiatives described as operating on a test-and-learn basis do not deliver the scale of efficiency savings assumed in the Departmental Efficiency Plan.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department has not undertaken a specific risk assessment on whether the AI initiatives operating on a test-and-learn basis will deliver the scale of efficiency savings forecast in the Departmental Efficiency Plan. The department has agreed to achieve net efficiency savings of £199m from corporate initiatives, and these will be enabled by a broad range of activities, including the use of digital tools and utilisation of technology beyond specific AI initiatives; we are continuing to assess the impact and potential benefits of implementing AI and will continue to develop our alignment on AI initiatives across DfT, it’s Arm's Length Bodies, and Agencies.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 22 January 2026 to Question 105752 and 20 January 2026 to Question 104846, what proportion of the £199 million efficiency saving projected from corporate initiatives in 2028–29 is expected to arise specifically from AI-enabled processes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 105753, what assessment the Department has made of which specific budget lines will reduce as a result of the £199 million corporate initiatives efficiencies described as cash releasing.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 105752, whether the Department has produced a breakdown for corporate initiatives equivalent to that published for executive agency reform, showing (a) gross efficiencies, (b) implementation costs and (c) net savings.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing will commence after a Full Business Case has been produced and approved.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Publicly funded construction enabling works have already commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-construction surveys are ongoing. The project continues to progress through the required assurance and governance processes and the full business case will follow ahead of private sector investment.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of the DfT Operator Group Parliamentary Reception on 19 January 2026; and what proportion of that cost was met by the public purse by funding source.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost for the Department for Transport Operator Group’s (DFTO) parliamentary reception on 19 January 2026 was £5,470.87, with those costs met by DFTO.
The event was held to provide parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with an opportunity to engage with publicly-owned train operators and to hear about the improvements that are being made. It continued functions of the same kind previously carried out by private sector operators for the same reasons and similarly represented a good use of modest public expenditure.
It also provided a forum for Members of Parliament to discuss matters of interest to their constituents and to discuss progress being made under the Railway Passenger Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 as well as wider industry developments.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at Swindon Test Centre in the most recent month for which data is available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Rail Delivery Group on recent updates to fare search limits for passengers and rail retailers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department regularly engages with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on a range of issues relating to the rail retail market, recognising RDG's important role in managing systems and services upon which train operators, retailers and passengers rely. This will continue as we progress towards the establishment of Great British Railways.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the efficiency savings attributed to regulated settlements arise from regulatory funding constraints imposed by the Office of Rail and Road.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Office of Rail and Road has a key role in providing assurance to Government on the regulated settlements for National Highways and Network Rail, this includes assuring what is to be delivered against the available funding as well as what is an appropriate efficiency target.