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Simon Lightwood
LAB✓ Current MP
🏛️ Wakefield and Rothwell
📅 2022–2026
333 speeches on Hansard record
⚠️ Votes attended: 65.59% (#505 of 650 MPs)
🟢 Rebelled against party: 0.31%
📝 Topics: Buses: Exhaust Emissions, Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, Hormone Replacement Therapy
🤝 Member of 1 All-Party Parliamentary Groups
Written Answers
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Department for Transport
Network Rail have already undertaken significant adaptation planning and action. They have produced Weather and Resilience Climate Change Adaptation (WRCCA) plans for each of the five regions for CP7 (2024-29); they have reported on their activity under the Adaptation Reporting Powers, with the…
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The answers to Questions 6462 on 9 October 2024, and 89574 on 11 November 2025, provide data covering April 2015 to October 2025 respectively. The attached spreadsheet shows the monthly average waiting time for a car practical driving test at each driving test centre, and zone, for each month…
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The Department for Transport (central), excluding its executive agencies, recruited the following number of external apprentices:2025: 32024: 82023: Data cannot be provided. Our recruitment system (Oleeo VX) retains only two years of data in line with our recruitment retention policy; therefore, we…
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While employment policy sits primarily with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Transport considers the impacts of transport affordability and accessibility through its policy development and funding decisions. This includes supporting lower fares, service provision and…
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No. The Spending Review settlement for the current period is not dependent on the consideration of the top speed of HS2.
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The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years. This multi-year settlement gives authorities – including authorities across Sussex such as East Sussex and West Sussex – the certainty they need to plan ahead and…
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The findings of Thatcham Research’s analysis align with the Department's wider understanding of the issues considered. The Department will continue to consider this analysis, and wider evidence sources, in its ongoing work to develop future policy and uphold the highest vehicle safety…
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The objectives and funding for GBR in the next funding period (running from April 2029 to March 2034) will be determined via the coming funding and objective-setting process.
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As part of the Northern Growth Strategy, the government set out its intention to ultimately deliver a North-South new line between Birmingham and Manchester. This is not a reinstatement of HS2 and the government is yet to determine exactly what will be delivered and to what specification.…
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The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) reported a net deficit of £8.778m in its accounts for the 2024/25 financial year. Income was reported at £22.252m against costs of £31.031m The hourly rate charged by the VCA for technical work has not increased since 2006. Chapter 6 of…
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The Government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to…
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Government Recruitment Service's applicant tracking system, but this does not provide information on how applicants learned about vacancies.DVSA advertises all driving examiner vacancies on Civil Service Jobs(opens in a new tab) on GOV.UK.…
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The Government Recruitment Service does not hold information on whether an applicant was successful as a result of a referral, as such the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has had no discussions regarding this. The table below shows the number of applicants who successfully passed…
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The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) includes funding to enable National Highway to continue delivering on its 2030 Water Quality Plan, and to mitigate pollution from a total of 190 – 250 drainage assets (outfalls and soakaways) that pose the greatest pollution risk.
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The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
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Ipsos UK has been commissioned by the Department for Transport to conduct research into the operation of sections 37 and 38 of the Highways Act 1980 and to assess whether the current road adoption system remains fit for purpose. As part of this work, Ipsos are engaging a range of organisations,…
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued. Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be…
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The law requires driving licence holders or applicants to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any medical condition that may affect their fitness to drive. The DVLA also considers relevant notifications received from third parties including the police, healthcare professionals…
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The law allows vehicle keeper information to be released to local authorities and private parking companies to allow them to follow up alleged parking contraventions. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) provides the information as a first point of contact to help the local authority or…
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Network Rail will write to you on this issue and incorporate a response to your question into its response to a similar question asked previously by Jerome Mayhew MP.
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not hold a record of instances reported to the police. However, since 1 March 2025, just under 28,000 immobilisation devices were unlawfully removed from a vehicle before the wheelclamping company returned to impound it and the vehicle was no longer…
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For driving examiner recruitment campaigns up to November 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) used 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…
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The Department will publish the report on the Department’s website as soon as is practical and will place a copy in the libraries of both Houses.
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The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that delivery of large infrastructure projects is underpinned by prudent spending, taxpayer value for money, and efficiency. Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and Mayoral Combined Authorities are primarily responsible for delivering major…
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The Spending Review settlement profiles reflects the scope, specification and associated works that the HS2 programme plans to deliver over the period. The HS2 programme reset work that Mark Wild is currently undertaking is underpinned by the Spending Review settlement.
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Buses are procured directly by bus operators or local transport authorities (LTAs) who would make an assessment on the type of zero emission bus (ZEB) to purchase and deploy. The Government’s approach to ZEB competitions has been technology neutral. LTAs have been able to apply for funding…
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The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards. Organisations receiving this data must comply with their obligations under data protection law.Where a private parking management…
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The Department for Transport recognises that rural communities face particular transport challenges. As announced in the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy, the Department is developing a new transport poverty tool to help national and local bodies in England identify where transport…
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The HS2 programme reset is underway and we are committed to updating parliament on progress on the reset in due course.
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The HS2 Spending Review settlement reflects the scope of work that the HS2 programme plans to deliver over the period 2026/27 to 2029/30. The average annual real-terms growth rate of -7.9% detailed in the Spending Review report reflects changes in annual spend over this period, based on the…
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Civil Service recruitment service for all of its recruitment. 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…
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The table below shows how many car driving tests were taken for the first, second, third or more times in 2024 and 2025. Please note this data is up to 31 March 2025.YearAttemptsNumber of people01/04/2024 - 31/03/20251900,26001/04/2024 - 31/03/20252452,15401/04/2024 - 31/03/20253 or more487,403 The…
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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…
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The table below shows the driver recruitment campaigns that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has spent advertising on, in each of the last three financial years to date. Financial YearSpend (£)Number of Campaigns2023/2419,675.0542024/2530,903.8932025/268,000.003Total58,578.9410
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As announced in March 2025, local highway authorities had to publish transparency reports about their highways maintenance activities to unlock their full share of the Government’s £500m uplift for local highways maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year. This included publishing an…
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The Government understands the pressure that prolonged roadworks and infrastructure closures can place on local businesses, including pubs and hospitality venues. Local authorities are responsible for managing works and mitigating disruption, including through traffic management and coordination…
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The Department for Transport does not issue Notice of Intended Prosecutions and is not responsible for enforcing against any illegal activity related to this process. These are matters for the police.
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We are focused on tackling the cause of delays. We have raised fines for overruns to up to £10,000 a day. We have recently approved 7 lane rental schemes to charge those who dig up the busiest roads at the busiest times.
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The Department for Transport does not directly collect detailed data from local authorities on roads awaiting adoption. We collect basic information on the number of private streets through Street Manager, our digital service for planning and managing roadworks. However, this does not include more…
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As DVSA’s fees are set out in legislation, any changes require a statutory process, including public consultation and subsequent legislative amendments. DVSA will publish details of any fee changes when consulting as part of the statutory process.
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) monitors the performance of recruitment campaigns, including:monitoring pass rates for each of the stages in the recruitment process and comparing these between campaignsaverage times between advert and job offers being made, and offers being made and…
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The law permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to disclose the contact details of registered keepers of UK vehicles for a number of lawful purposes. Information needed to manage parking on private land is provided only to private parking operators that are members of an appropriate…
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The Transport Secretary remains committed to updating the Transport Select Committee on the reports on ‘Yutong’ electric buses.It would not be appropriate to disclose any information before first updating the Committee.
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The changes to driving test booking rules follow a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the driving instructor industry responded to. In addition to reviewing the consultation responses, an options assessment was conducted. This provides a structured approach to decision making…
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The government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads. However, the government cannot commit to any changes…
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A decision to pause activity on the York Area Capacity and Performance Project was taken at the Spending Review. The decision was only taken after appropriate consideration of the project’s benefits and its interdependencies with other programmes of activity. Work is now underway with Network…
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The decision taken at the Spending Review to pause activity on the York Area Capacity and Performance project taken after appropriate consideration of the project’s benefits and its interdependencies with other programmes of activity. Work is now underway with Network Rail and industry…
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National Highways has assessed the status of the land and is taking steps to improve its condition, including replanting substantial numbers of trees, protecting ecological sites and creating new wildlife habitats.
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The tables below show the number of registered number plate suppliers based in West Bromwich and Sandwell by postcode area. As postcode boundaries do not always align with administrative borders, two postcodes appear in both tables. Postcode areas may also extend beyond West Bromwich and Sandwell.…
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The Department routinely monitors delivery of zero-emission bus (ZEB) programmes through engagement with Local Transport Authorities (LTAs). The main risks identified include: (i) securing timely grid connections and working with Distribution Network Operators; (ii) technical integration of…
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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…
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The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) who left the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in each month from July 2024 to February 2026. This data includes all DEs who have left including, for example, new DEs that were unsuccessful in completing…
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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:DfT Careers [careers.dft.gov.uk] – Driving…
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Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details from its vehicle record where the requester can demonstrate reasonable cause to receive it. The fee payable by private sector…
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For campaigns up to November 2025, The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) used the data available from the civil service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information does not give 100% coverage. In December 2025,…
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The Department has not made a formal national assessment of the impact of long-term road or bridge closures on small businesses. These impacts vary significantly depending on the scale of works, local travel patterns, and the mitigation measures put in place by the local highway authority. However,…
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DfT worked with local authorities and the wider highways industry to develop the PAS 2161:2024 Road condition monitoring (RCM) data specification which was published in September 2024, and is available online, at:…
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As noted in my previous answer, a number of parking sector stakeholders conducted research into the issue of penalty charging levels, the findings of which we previously deposited in the House of Commons Library at the following link:…
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The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in keeping communities connected, including in rural areas. The Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators to improve bus services over the spending review period.…
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Travel surveys can provide vital evidence to enable better targeting of investments to improve transport for people and businesses across the country. The cost of conducting travel surveys will vary by the methods, scope and other factors involved.
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The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) does not receive the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which is made available to eight of England’s largest city regions. Other areas, including the CPCA, receive different funding streams, which from 2026/27…
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National Highways is responsible for assessing noise associated with individual road schemes as part of the planning process, alongside managing noise from the Strategic Road Network more generally. The Department sets out its expectations on what National Highways must do to mitigate noise from…
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International flights since 4 July 2024:The central Department for TransportTotal SpendEconomy FlightsPremium Economy FlightsBusiness Class FlightsFirst Class FlightsNot specified £1,615,217.4019961141380-
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A supplementary Excel document has been provided to present the full dataset, as the level of detail requested cannot be appropriately conveyed within the main response. The response covers the central Department for Transport.Flights - Officials in Department (xlsx, 40.2KB)
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The Oxford–Cambridge Corridor is a national priority for the Government. We believe that growth here will boost the whole UK economy, creating jobs, enhancing connectivity and opportunities across the UK. On East West Rail (EWR), major construction work has completed for Connection Stage 1…
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The Government has confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This funding includes a £3 million Bus Franchising Support…
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As set out in the guidance for public authorities on the Public Sector Equality Duty, the general duty involves consciously thinking about the equality aims while making decisions. There is no prescribed process for doing or recording this. Due regard for the Public Sector Equality Duty was…
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The Department continues to work closely with disabled people and representative organisations, like Transport for All, to ensure their voices are heard, that the challenges are understood and that we are actively working together to drive the change to make transport and travel increasingly…
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The first national evaluation of the e-scooter rental trials was published on the Department’s website in 2022. The evaluation captured evidence on the impact of schemes, including on usage and safety.A second national evaluation started in 2025 and is expected to report in 2027. This…
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The 10‑year zero‑emission bus order pipeline published on 16 March 2026 does not provide a specific estimate for how many of the forecast UK‑wide zero‑emission bus purchases are expected to be for bus fleets in Scotland.The Department’s dataset is based on voluntary…
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Department for Transport Ministers regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including British bus manufacturing. The Government is committed to supporting the long-term strength and competitiveness of our bus manufacturing sector. In March 2025, the Minister for Roads…
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The Government does not operate a mandated or voluntary lorry parking security accreditation system. Trucks stops and Motorway Service Areas set their own security standards unless they voluntarily join a private accreditation scheme. Therefore, the Department for Transport does not hold this…
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Under the Highways Act 1980, responsibility for planning, prioritising and delivering maintenance on local roads sits with the relevant local authority, who are best placed to understand local network needs and manage works on their assets.This is supported by the statutory Co-ordination Code of…
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The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
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My Department recognises the importance of social value in public procurement, and government procurement policy requires Central Government Departments to apply a minimum 10% weighting. Whilst this 10% minimum weighting is not mandatory for Local Authorities, many already apply this voluntarily.…
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Anyone wishing to become an ADI must pass the statutory ADI tests. More information on the steps to becoming an ADI can be found on GOV.UK. To maintain and monitor standards of instruction, each ADI can be called by the ADI Registrar for a standards check. This covers all ADIs including those who…
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There are no requirements for National Highways to ensure that all planned and emergency road closures are integrated into live satellite navigation.However, National Highways publishes information detailing all its planned and emergency work closures. Where available these details are published in…
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National Highways requires its contractors to inform National Highways’ Regional Operations Centres before closing any part of the SRN to allow appropriate signs, signals, and customer communications to be put in place.In the financial year 24/25, over 90% of the overnight closures planned by…
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The procurement of buses is carried out by Local Transport Authorities or bus operators, not the Department for Transport.
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On 9 August 2024, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) issued an advice note on floating bus stops following the publication of research by Living Streets. Officials working on the floating bus stop guidance were aware of this advice. DfT officials met with DPTAC before the…
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Data on reported road collisions, including location and whether at a junction, is collected by police forces via the system known as STATS19 and is published annually on gov.uk, which would allow this analysis to be carried out, but it is not analysed at that level of detail centrally.On 7 January…
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The Department has no current plans to undertake assessment of the effectiveness of the analysis conducted by Thatcham Research. Where assessment and research are necessary to support policy development and decisions the Government draws on a broad range of evidence. This includes using existing…
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Local authorities are responsible for setting their own highways maintenance budgets, drawing on a combination of Department for Transport capital funding and their wider local resources. To support greater transparency, the Department introduced a requirement last year for all local highway…
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Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards.Vehicle keeper data is only made available to private parking…
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Network Rail is committed to delivering a safe, reliable railway while reducing costs for taxpayers. Accordingly, it needs to ensure it operates as efficiently as possible. To achieve this, Network Rail is reviewing how it operates across its business. In the review, safety remains the top priority…
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Norwegian style drill and blast tunnelling is generally suited to continuous hardrock geology that is not characteristic of most interurban routes in the UK. Instead, the latter frequently involves tunnelling through highly variable ground conditions including clay, weak, weathered or fractured…
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The Department is aware of the challenges associated with maintaining peat soil affected roads. Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, the statutory responsibility for maintaining the public highway rests with local highway authorities, who are best placed to make decisions based on their local…
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National Highways follows the standards GG903 and GG907 outlined in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) for diversion routes for unplanned events and planned works and activities. These standards require NH to coordinate with customers and local traffic authorities and to conduct…
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The Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) set minimum accessibility requirements for buses and coaches and so support millions of disabled people, including young people and children, to make the journeys important in their lives.In response to widespread non-compliance in…
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A full explanation of how highways maintenance funding is allocated is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations. Local highway authorities can choose to spend Highways Maintenance Block funding on all parts of their highway network.…
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Business case documents and the benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) for major schemes, including relevant schemes in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline, will be published on gov.uk when the full business case is approved. BCRs are not always published until the final approval. It should be noted that…
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There have been four local transport authorities (LTAs) that have returned Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding due to a decrease in project scoping or because the project can no longer be delivered as approved. The LTAs that returned funding are as follows: Blackpool - returned money…
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Network Rail is responsible for assessing and managing potential impacts that its infrastructure or activities may have on neighbouring properties. Where homeowners believe that damage may be linked to railway operations, assets or work, Network Rail has an established process for investigating…
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As stated in the answer to Question 117906 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold centrally a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response to customer demand and operational need.…
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The Live Labs 2 programme is supported by a built‑in monitoring and evaluation period that runs beyond the programme’s delivery phase, which is yet to conclude. Initial results published by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) already…
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The total funding provided to local authorities in each financial year since 2023/24 can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations. The Asphalt Industry Alliance estimated in its 2026 Survey that the average cost of repairing a pothole…
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The Department for Transport continues to support innovation in the local highways sector by creating the conditions for the safe and evidence‑based adoption of new approaches, while leaving decisions on specific technologies to local highway authorities. This includes providing a record…
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Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including repairing defects such as potholes. Data on the number of potholes repaired by each local highway authority during the last five years is published in…
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The published Department for Transport annual report and accounts 2024/2025 included the £2.6m lease cost write-off. The breakdown comprised of approximately £900k in 2023/2024 and approximately £1.7m in 2024/2025. The costs were for rolling stock contracted payments to the Rolling…
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The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published later this year.
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The Government has confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This funding includes a £3 million Bus Franchising Support…
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All motorway service areas in England now offer open-access rapid or ultra-rapid charge points and 75% (January 2026, industry data) have at least six or more ultra-rapid open-access charge points.The Government continues to work closely with distribution network operators, motorway service area…
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No specific assessment has been undertaken on delays affecting drivers from West Dorset or the South West. There are no delays in applications for a licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three…
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The Department for Transport expects Network Rail to proactively and transparently engage with lineside neighbours who live close to major rail infrastructure works. Network Rail’s established consultation and communication procedures require project teams to provide clear information to…
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The Government takes national security seriously and works closely with the transport sector and others to understand and respond to vulnerabilities for all transport modes.
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National Highways is responsible for setting pay awards that are both affordable and aligned within its overall RIS3 budget. During 2022, the organisation awarded a larger pay deal compared to the core Civil Service and as such took the decision to not offer the £1500 non-consolidated payment.
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times, including in Wales, and improve access to driving tests…
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Construction enabling works for the Lower Thames Crossing have now begun on both sides of the River Thames. Ground works are underway to create haul roads and site compounds. Site compounds are under construction and utility works have commenced with connections to these.…
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The driver licensing framework in Great Britain is designed to be balanced and proportionate. Drivers of all ages are legally required to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition, or if an existing condition worsens, that may affect their ability to…
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The Government is committed to supporting the long-term strength and competitiveness of our bus manufacturing sector. In March 2025, the Minister for Roads and Buses launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, bringing together industry experts and local leaders to ensure the UK remains a…
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As part of its planned maintenance activities including replanting new trees, adding nutrients to the soil and grass cutting, National Highways will begin removing both redundant biodegradable and plastic tree guards adjacent to A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme. National Highways has scheduled…
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Stellantis has advised, as of March 2026, that there are estimated to be 10,300 vehicles that may be in use on the road that have not been rectified - out of a total estimated at c148,000 in-scope vehicles. Both Stellantis and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continue to work to…
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The Department is currently discussing the detail and timing of that work with Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
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The statutory guidance on the provision and design of floating bus stops is a joint publication between the Department and Active Travel England (ATE). Stakeholder engagement on the development of the guidance was undertaken by officials from both organisations. As part of this process, an external…
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The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) is due to be published later in March. It will confirm the funding and objectives for National Highways’ investment in the strategic road network over the five-year period from 2026/27 to 2030/31.
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Current National Highways data (up to 28 February 2026) shows that there are 1,418 sub-catchments containing locations that have a high-flood risk (out of a total of 10,873 sub-catchments along the Strategic Road Network). Catchments are defined as a group of all the drainage systems and the…
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Three workshops were held on the floating bus stop guidance, facilitated by Transport for All (TfA). The participants included organisations representing disabled people and TfA members with lived experience of disability. The department also circulated the draft guidance for comment to a range of…
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In developing transport safety policy, the Government draws on a broad range of evidence to support policy development and decisions. This includes using existing independent evidence where it is sourced from robust and reliable research, alongside commissioning specific Government-funded studies…
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Three workshops were held on the floating bus stop guidance, one in-person (17 November 2025) and two online (18 and 24 November 2025). All three workshops were facilitated by Transport for All and attended by officials from the Department and ATE. They consisted of facilitated discussions about…
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The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in both the volume and complexity of driving licence applications from people with one or more medical conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing…
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A response to your correspondence has now been issued.
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The figures within the National Audit Office’s report reflect table 5.18 within the 2025 Spending Review document. The HS2 programme will be required to align with the Spending Review settlement which, based on the annual capital Departmental Expenditure Limits between the period FY 25/26 -…
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It remains the Department’s plan to publish the findings of the Call for Evidence: 'Restricting the generation of surplus funds from traffic contraventions' in March. This was commissioned by the previous Government as part of its Plan for Drivers.
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The Government recognises the vital role community transport operators play in connecting people with their communities, and the challenges faced by operators when costs such as petrol and diesel fluctuate.To support community transport operators, the Department makes up to £3.8 million…
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Appointments are made on merit following fair and open competition. As a Disability Confident employer, interviews are offered to disabled applicants who meet the minimum job criteria and reasonable adjustments are available to address the potential for disadvantage in recruitment.
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The Government recognises the challenges that industrial action can cause to the public. Responsibility for managing its impact on rail services rests with train operating companies and Network Rail. As the sector moves towards Great British Railways, greater integration is expected to improve…
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Statistics on the number and proportion of zero‑emission and non‑zero‑emission buses are published in the Department for Transport’s Annual bus statistics, table BUS06e (Vehicles operated by local bus operators). The tables are available at:…
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a driving licence where there is no medical condition involved.The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within…
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency keeps its fees under continual review. Any changes to fee levels would be subject to public consultation and Parliamentary approval.
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Transport is one of the UK’s 13 Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors. Given the cross-sector infrastructure interdependencies, resilience across CNI, including transport, is critical to the UK. My department is taking forward work to deliver the transport implications of the UK…
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As at today’s date, there has been one member of staff seconded to DfT Operator Limited since 4 July 2024 and 210 staff are planned to transfer to DFT Operator on 1 April 2026.
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Following the Northern Growth Strategy announcement in January, we are carefully considering our options regarding the HS2 safeguarding direction affecting the Mid-Cheshire constituency and will set out further details in due course.
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent…
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During a medical investigation into a person’s fitness to drive the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may require a functional on-road driving assessment. These are delivered through specialist driving assessment centres that provide clinical and on-road evaluation of a…
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There are no plans to amend the STATS19 collection in this way.The STATS19 collection is reviewed every 5 to 10 years. The last such review commenced in 2018, with the agreed recommendations being rolled out to police force collection systems from the start of 2024, and expected to be complete…
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The Government remains committed to the plans it set out at the Spending Review, including in relation to providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads. This also includes £1 billion for key local highway…
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Within the last five years there has been two zero emission bus programmes funded by the Government, ZEBRA and ZEBRA 2. The following tables present information on the amount of grant funding awarded and the number of zero emission buses funded through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA)…
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https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/driving-test-and-theory-test-data-cars shows the number of car practical driving tests conducted up to February 2026. The spreadsheet attached shows the number of overtime tests for the period July 2023 to January 2026. Further information is not…
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The cost of applying the temporary Bee Network promotional livery to the Northern train was met by Transport for Greater Manchester.
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The Department for Transport intends to publish the third Road Investment Strategy by the end of this month, with the third Road Period commencing in April 2026 and covering the period from 2026/27 to 2030/31.
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The HS2 programme reset is underway and we are committed to updating parliament on progress on the reset in due course.
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its fees under continual review. Any changes to fee levels would be subject to public consultation and Parliamentary approval.
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The Office of Rail and Road published its report on rail industry productivity in March 2025. The report can be found at: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025-rail-industry-productivity-report.pdf.
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Trade Union (TU) recognition is a matter for the employer to discuss with the TU. Platform 4 is now the employer following a TUPE process. While TU recognition agreements were not transferred from Network Rail to Platform 4 under TUPE, Platform 4 has held discussions with the TUs about recognition,…
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The Department for Transport is working closely with the Mobility Centres network (England) and DVLA to provide accessible and timely access to driving and mobility assessments. The Department recently provided additional funding to Mobility Centres, including to Centres across the Midlands, to…
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The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of pothole reports made to local authorities. Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including responding to reports of defects such as…
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The Department has not made an assessment of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in rural or urban local authorities. Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets like road lengths, to help make the system…
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The provision of Merchant Acquirer Services and the provision of Payment Gateway Services contracts were tendered in 2017/18 and awarded in 2019. The procurement policy, introduced by the previous government, required suppliers on significant contracts to align with the UK’s 2050 Net Zero…
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The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is currently consulting on a proposal to increase certain fees. This would help to address the current financial deficit. The agency is currently undertaking a programme of internal efficiencies which will also support deficit reduction.
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Rail enhancement investment in Wales is detailed below. UKG Enhancements comprise funding from the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline and the Levelling Up Fund. YearUKG EnhancementsCVL Enhancement Funding paid to Welsh Goverment2020/21£16 million£141 million2021/22£10…
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National Highways currently anticipate completion of works on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 by the end of March 2026, subject to the findings of National Highways' own investigation into whether the drainage issues identified extend beyond the current locations.
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A further meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce will be held after funding arrangements for the Structures Fund have been confirmed. My officials will be in touch with relevant stakeholders in due course.
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The Department for Transport published local road maintenance ratings on 11 January, measuring how well each local highway authority is maintaining its local roads and making use of its increased government funding. The methodology used to calculate the ratings is available online, at:…
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As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background.The use of the…
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The Department is providing all local transport authorities (LTAs) with multi-year consolidated funding settlements, delivering our commitment in the English Devolution White Paper to simplify funding. These consolidated local transport settlements will give LTAs greater freedom and flexibility to…
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The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT) scheme was suspended by the previous Government in November 2023. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency recognises the importance of ORBIT and will engage with the industry and discuss how and when the scheme should resume.
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DVSA does not have a separate standards checks for trainers of ADIs. If a driving instructor wishes to train driving instructors, they do not need an extra qualification.
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Spending plans for the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29 were agreed with HM Treasury as part of the Spending Review 2025 settlement and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document.They were amended as part of the Autumn Budget 2025 and can be found at…
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The Preferred Route for the M54 to M6 Link Road scheme was announced in September 2018, following public consultation. The route selected provides the highest benefit to the local economy, the best journey time options, and was preferred by most of the respondents to the public consultation. The…
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In line with Treasury guidance, the development of the Business Case for East West Rail will progress as East West Rail Company continues to develop and refine the project. The Full Business Case will be submitted for approval and then published, once planning consent has been secured, which is…
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The Department engages with a wide range of stakeholders in developing policy on street design. My officials and I have met with a range of groups in developing policy on floating bus stops including the Royal National Institute of Blind People, Guide Dogs and the National Federation of the Blind…
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While the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency keep its fees under constant review, there are currently no plans to publish a fees strategy.
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The Department for Transport submitted no evidence to the Office for National Statistics’ formal consultation regarding views on whether additional tick-box response options are required for a new ethnicity harmonised standard. The Department contributed evidence at an earlier stage,…
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The guidance for local transport authorities on the byelaws provisions in the Bus Services Act 2025 is still being developed and will be published in due course.
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The 2026 business rates revaluation, which is a continuing process, is a matter for the operationally independent Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA is due to publish its final ratings list this Spring.
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The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systemic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including electric buses. The Department works closely with the transport sector and other…
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As with any customer who uses the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) services, their data will be retained on record for a period of time. There are, however, Data Protection rules regulating how this data can be used. As stated in the answer to Question 113159, DVSA seeks to…
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The Department is working closely with Chiltern and other partners to confirm a start date for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes.
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The Department for Transport's support for the 14 contracted operators and Network Rail was £8.47 per journey in 2024/25. It is currently estimated that this will steadily decrease to just over £7 per journey in 2028/29. This means an average year on year reduction of 4.3%.
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services currently adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and work is underway to bring all services to WCAG 2.2 level AA status to attain full compliance with the most recent accessibility requirements.Customers can…
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Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. It is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge…
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The Department is continuing its dedicated research into the decline in road adoption rates across England. This includes gathering evidence from local highway authorities and wider stakeholders to understand current challenges and assess options to improve and streamline the adoption process. The…
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National Highways is currently undertaking a renewal of the road markings on the A34 from Chieveley to the M40, which is due to be completed by 18 March. It is undertaking studies into the safety performance of slip roads accessing the A34 from the communities of East Ilsley and Beedon, and this…
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National Highways’s route strategies are the principal evidence-gathering mechanism that informs investment planning for the Strategic Road Network. The A34 is considered as part of the ‘Solent to Midlands’ route strategy where ‘Improving Safety for All’ is a key theme…
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Advice was provided to ministers in line with standard procedures.
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supervises the delivery of light vehicle MOTs in Great Britain through its approved MOT garages. However, as these are private garages, DVSA does not collate overall data on the volume and cost of missed MOT appointments.
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The attached Excel spreadsheet shows how many practical car driving tests were conducted and cancelled, at Slough driving test centre in each month of 2024 and 2025. Also included is the number of practical car driving test slots that were available to book during this period but were not used. It…
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests that will break down…
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Examples of activities relevant under this metric include the more efficient management of vehicle movements to both increase operational efficiency and cut carbon emissions. They also include the greater adoption of preventative road surface treatments, such as preservation, rejuvenation or…
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The Department for Transport (central) currently sponsors visas for 33 skilled workers and has an additional 19 employees working on other visa types.
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The Department for Transport is aware of the Supreme Court’s judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers (2025) and its implications for the interpretation of the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act 2010.The Department awaits the publication of the updated…
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I wrote to you and members of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, which includes Transport for London and Hammersmith and Fulham Council, on 27 February.I set out in my letter that I consider Hammersmith Bridge to be a good candidate for investment from the Structures Fund, and my Department intends…
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All driving examiner (DE) vacancies are advertised on Civil Service Jobs on GOV.UK. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has run block recruitment campaigns for multiple roles across the driving test centre network in England, Scotland and Wales, repeatedly since 2021. DVSA has not run…
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The Well‑managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, which is in the process of being updated, advises that local highway authorities should use a risk‑based approach when assessing and repairing defects. The Code does not define a national pothole size or threshold; instead, it…
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In response to public concerns raised about glare from vehicle headlamps an international glare prevention taskforce has been established at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. UK officials and vehicle manufacturers representatives are actively involved in the work of the group which…
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The Department for Transport surveyed local highway authorities and transport stakeholders on the assessment criteria for the Structures Fund in February 2026. We are currently considering the responses and will confirm the final prioritisation criteria in due course. Once these criteria are…
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The analysis was conducted by Thatcham Research on behalf of the insurance industry. Although key findings have been summarised in published material, the full analysis is not publicly available. As a result, it is not possible to place a copy in the library, and no assessment has been made of the…
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The Department for Transport surveyed local highway authorities and other transport stakeholders on the criteria for prioritising structures for investment through the Structures Fund in February 2026. The Department is currently considering responses to the survey and will confirm the criteria…
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The decision taken in March 2024 to defer the start of construction on the A12 widening scheme was made by Ministers. Prior to this decision, the publicly committed start date for construction was 2023/24 but a new start date was being planned.
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The Department for Transport was invited by the Office for National Statistics, via the Government Statistical Service harmonisation champions network, to respond to a consultation regarding possible changes to the standard for ethnicity categories.
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The government is committed to improving passenger transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity, including in the East of England.Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package…
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No such estimate has been made as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) would only become aware of a potentially inaccurate address when informed by customers. Driving licence holders are legally responsible for notifying the DVLA of a change of address or inaccuracy in the details on…
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The table below sets out the number of employees recruited from January 2024 and the change to net employee headcount per quarter for DFT Operator Limited (DFTO). The increases in headcount are as a result of the progressive public ownership programme managed by DFTO. The increase in staff costs…
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My officials work closely with Business and Trade officials, including through the work of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel.
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Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 place a statutory duty on local highway authorities to maintain public highways, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. The Department is aware of the challenges associated with peat soil. The Department is undertaking a comprehensive review of the…
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Ahead of publishing the guidance on floating bus stops, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, I had due regard to impacts on people with protected characteristics, particularly disabled people, in making decisions regarding the guidance. This was supported by engagement with organisations…
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Statutory guidance on the provision and design of floating bus stops was published on 26 January under section 31 of the Bus Services Act 2025, which was cleared across government in the usual way.
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The Department keeps the objectives and operation of all its local transport funding streams under regular review to ensure they support decarbonisation, growth and improved passenger outcomes. Our wider zero emission bus policy is designed to stimulate demand across the UK, with bus operators and…
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The Government recognises that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all, and we are committed to delivering change as part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We want to see passenger transport services that are more inclusive and…
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Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England are published annually: Road conditions in England to March 2025 - GOV.UK. Local authorities in England are required to provide the Department for Transport (DfT) with data on the condition of local roads annually under the Ministry of…
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