Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered introducing Graduated Driver Licenses for new drivers, in the context of levels of car insurance.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Driver licensing is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driver Licensing in Great Britain with further restrictions on newly qualified drivers, such as carrying passengers or driving at night, we are consulting on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical driving test. This would allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers.
If the number of collisions involving young drivers and novice drivers fall overall, then this could lead to a reduction in insurance premiums for younger drivers.
It is also important to note that motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer and it is for them to decide the level of risk that they take in issuing any policy to a given applicant. Motor insurers use a wide range of criteria to assess the potential risk a driver poses and this includes the age of the applicant, the type of vehicle being insured, the postal area where the applicant lives and the driving experience of the applicant. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current average time from test request to result for tests provided by NHS England's genomic medicine laboratories; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those turnaround times on patient access to appropriate treatment for (1) SOD1 testing in motor neurone disease, (2) germline BRCA1/2 testing in hereditary female cancers, and (3) homologous recombination deficiency testing in breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In December 2025, the average turnaround time for genomic tests processed through the NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs were 42 days for the test code which includes SOD1 analysis for motor neuron disease, as well as other clinical indications, 37 to 42 days for germline BRCA1/2 testing, and 22 days for homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing for ovarian carcinomas. These are within the national targets of 42 days for the test code which includes SOD1 analysis for motor neuron disease and BRCA1/2 and 28 days for HRD, supporting timely clinical decision‑making. As genomic results directly inform treatment choices for motor neurone disease, hereditary female cancers, and ovarian carcinoma, maintaining these turnaround times is essential to ensuring patients can access appropriate therapies without delay.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of tax, including a) Vehicle Excise Duty, b) VAT on vehicle purchases and c) fuel duty on motorists.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Revenue from motoring taxes helps to fund vital public services and infrastructure, including investment in roads and transport. The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy, including considering the impact on households and businesses. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.
At Budget 2025, the Government made a number of announcements relating to motoring tax. This included announcing continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026. Rates will then gradually return to early 2022 levels. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026-27 will not take place, with the Government uprating fuel duty rates by RPI from April 2027. This will save the average car driver £49 next year compared to previous plans.
The Government also announced the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty.
The Government is taking a proportionate approach to ensuring electric car drivers pay an appropriate share whilst remaining firmly committed to supporting the transition to EVs. That is why the rate will be set at 50% of the equivalent fuel duty cost for petrol and diesel cars, and 80% of eVED revenue from the first three years is being reinvested to extend support for EVs and the auto manufacturing industry. This builds on existing generous support, including Company Car Tax incentives.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with motorsport manufacturers and related bodies on growing the sector in the UK.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK’s globally recognised motorsport cluster continues to play a vital role in driving engineering excellence and supporting investment across the automotive sector. DBT Ministers have engaged on issues affecting the UK motorsports sector, including a cross‑Whitehall F1 Ministerial Roundtable on 15 January 2024, where Ministers discussed industry priorities with F1 and government partners. The Department engages regularly with the Motorsports Industry Association (MIA) and motorsport manufacturers as part of our wider work to support the UK’s world leading high performance engineering sector. These discussions cover support for innovation, supply chain competitiveness and opportunities for growth through export support and technology‑focused trade missions.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 105760, if she will provide a hyperlink to that information.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The data table showing a breakdown of fatalities in reported road traffic collisions by vehicle and propulsion type (RAS0507) is published as part of the Department’s annual road casualty statistics, and can be accessed via:
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the structure of Vehicle Excise Duty.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), sometimes known as 'road tax' or 'car tax', is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different rates apply to cars, vans, and motorcycles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions. The government has no current plans to review this structure.
At Autumn Budget 2025, the government announced the introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, which will come into effect from April 2028. Drivers will pay for their mileage alongside their existing Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many recorded incidents there have been involving scramblers in the last three years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held in the format requested. NHS England publishes data on the cause of hospital admitted patient care activity. However, this does not distinguish between types of motorcycle vehicles. The following able shows the number of Finished Admission Episodes in each of the past three financial years specifically for injuries to motorcycle riders and pedestrians hit by motorcycles:
External cause | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Pedestrian injured in collision with two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle | 346 | 345 | 377 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with pedestrian or animal | 99 | 90 | 115 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with pedal cycle | 19 | 38 | 42 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle | 305 | 253 | 286 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with car, pick-up truck or van | 2,990 | 3,104 | 3,211 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with heavy transport vehicle or bus | 97 | 97 | 119 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with railway train or railway vehicle | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with other nonmotor vehicle | 21 | 18 | 17 |
Motorcycle rider injured in collision with fixed or stationary object | 806 | 876 | 946 |
Motorcycle rider injured in noncollision transport accident | 3,634 | 3,789 | 4,057 |
Motorcycle rider injured in other and unspecified transport accidents | 802 | 812 | 884 |
Total | 8,776 | 9,079 | 9,680 |
Source: Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity
Note: this may not cover all incidents in which a motorcycle rider or pedestrian is injured, as these could also be recorded under more general transport-related causes such as: “Motor- or nonmotor-vehicle accident, type of vehicle unspecified”. This also does not include any admissions due to injuries in other vehicles which were involved in a collision with a motorcycle.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of paid ad spoofing on car insurance premiums.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has made no specific estimate of the impact of paid advert spoofing on car insurance premiums.
However, the Government takes the issue of fraud seriously and recognises the impact this has on motor insurance claims costs and the premiums that motorists pay.
As set out in the final report of the cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce, published in December 2025, the Government, regulators and industry are taking a range of actions to combat insurance fraud. This includes the Financial Conduct Authority’s work to identify and remove fraudulent advertising; the Insurance Fraud Bureau and Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department’s work to detect, investigate and deter motor insurance fraud; and collective efforts to deliver on the commitments in the Home Office’s Insurance Fraud Charter.
The Government’s forthcoming Fraud Strategy will introduce further measures designed to protect individuals and businesses from evolving fraud threats.
Asked by: Lord McColl of Dulwich (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks of bright vehicle headlights impeding the vision of oncoming drivers.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department’s published road casualty statistics include figures for the number of collisions where ‘vision affected by dazzling headlights’ was recorded as a contributory factor by a police officer attending the scene. In 2023, the latest year for which this data is available, there were 216 reported injury collisions with this factor assigned which equates to 0.2% of overall collisions recorded.
In recognition of public concern about headlamp glare, the recently published Road Safety Strategy includes a commitment to carry out further research in this area.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to quality assure information on the Fuel Finder Website.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) regulations 2025, the appointed aggregator is responsible for managing the registration information and providing real-time fuel price information. The Department also requires the aggregator to implement data quality assurance processes to ensure all information published through the Fuel Finder service meets agreed standards. This includes validating price submissions at the point of entry and implementing continuous data quality monitoring to maintain accuracy and reliability.