Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide, for each driving test centre in Great Britain, the car practical driving test waiting time in weeks in January 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The attached Excel document shows the average waiting time in weeks, in January 2026, for a car practical driving test at all driving test centres (DTC) in Great Britain.
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)
For January 2026, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Swindon driving test centre was 18.8 weeks.
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)
For January 2026, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Swindon driving test centre was 18.8 weeks.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the maritime sector.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government strongly supports the sector, including £448m of funding for maritime decarbonisation, updating the National Policy Statement for Ports, fostering an environment for port investment, backing maritime skills and seafarers’ rights. We will shortly publish a Maritime Growth Strategy with our priorities for sustainable sector growth, people, environment, and safety.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ports have operational shore power infrastructure capable of supporting zero-emission operations; and how this compares with the number of ports affected by the inclusion of emissions at berth in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government does not centrally record the level of live shore power infrastructure at ports, harbours, marinas, terminals or wharves, including whether they offer low voltage or high voltage shore power connections.
We are aware of at least nine ports, harbours, marinas, terminals and wharves that have live operational shore power units that allows some vessels to run on shore power today. At least another two locations are currently installing shore power. Of these eleven locations, six of them received R&D funding through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme.
The policies in the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy will encourage more investment in maritime decarbonisation, including shore power rollout at more ports.
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)
A breakdown of the forecasted £199m in corporate initiative efficiencies published in the Departmental Efficiency Plan described as cash releasing are included below by budget line as published in the departmental Supply Estimate.
Budget Line | 28/29 Cashable Efficiencies |
Central Administration | £0.234m |
Support for Rail Passenger Services | £199m |
Total corporate initiative cash releasing efficiencies: | £199.234m |
Beyond the efficiencies set out in the Departmental Efficiency Plan, the department has also made a commitment to reduce our administration budget over this period in line with the government’s overall aim to reduce administration costs by 15% by the end of the decade.
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 optical sector on (a) proposals to modernise driver vision testing and (b) any other proposals to strengthen road safety standards.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Alongside the strategy, we launched five consultations including a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers. We welcome responses from optometrists and optometrist organisations to the consultations.
My officials have met with various optometrist organisations (including the College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists) while developing the proposed changes to eyesight testing for older drivers, and we will continue to engage with optometrist organisations as our policies develop further.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help support public awareness of the Don’t Swerve a Sight Test campaign.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We appreciate the work that the Association of Optometrists is doing to highlight the importance of good vision for driving.
On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all road users. Alongside the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.
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.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of increasing the number of vision checks required for drivers aged over 70 on road safety.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
At the age of 70, drivers must renew their entitlement, and at most, every three years after that. This provides a timely reminder to individuals to consider their health in the context of driving. To renew their entitlement, they must make a legal declaration, via self-certification, that they can meet the legal eyesight standards required to drive and confirm whether they have any medical condition which may affect their fitness 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 road users including older drivers. Alongside the strategy, we launched a consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.
A summary of the evidence underpinning the need for mandatory eyesight testing is included in the ‘safety impacts of mandatory eyesight testing’ section of the consultation document.
Once the consultation has concluded, we will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to require in-vehicle CCTV in licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. Should Parliament enable the setting of standards, mandating CCTV in vehicles will be considered as part of that process.