Written questions by Mayhew.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112226 on Airports: Fees and Charges, whether her Department plans to collect information from airports on the level of kerbside drop-off charges paid by passengers.

Kerbside drop‑off charges are commercial matters for airports to set and justify to their customers, and information on charge levels is already freely available on airports’ respective public websites. The Department collects a range of information on airports’ surface access strategies through our regular engagement with airport operators, and drop‑off charges form part of these wider discussions.

What the current level of rail industry productivity is as a percentage of pre-pandemic levels.

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.

What progress has been made on the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor since January 2025.

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 and in June 2025 the line opened to freight trains. In March 2025 the Department announced Chiltern as the line operator and is working with partners to confirm a start date for the first EWR services between Oxford and Milton Keynes. On future stages of the project, East West Rail Company completed its third non-statutory consultation in January 2025 and set out an update on proposals for the railway in November 2025. Work is currently progressing on a Spring consultation on East West Rail to take place shortly. The new Cambridge South station is expected to open in June 2026, providing vital connectivity to the Cambridge biomedical campus and the wider region and enhancing travel options for both local residents and visitors. The station is expected to serve up to 1.8 million passengers each year, improving access to economic opportunities and housing development in the region. The station will also have built in-capacity to support future East West rail services. In October 2025, the Government announced a £120 million funding contribution to reopen the Cowley Branch Line to passenger services. This will see regular services from Oxford starting in 2029/2030 and serving new stations at Littlemore and Cowley to support growth, housing and innovation in the city and across the region. Turning to strategic roads, construction of the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvement has continued and we expect it to open in 2027. When complete, the scheme will provide quicker, safer and more reliable journeys for thousands of road users every day and help give more access to jobs in Milton Keynes, Cambridge and everywhere in between.

When the long-term climate resilience strategy being developed by Network Rail is expected to be published.

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 most recent response submitted in late 2024; and in 2025, they published their Greener Railway Strategy which included adaptation objectives. Network Rail (NR) is planning to publish its long-term climate change adaptation pathways strategy in March / April 2029. This will take strategy commitments a step further and provide a route-by-route plan of how to respond to current and projected risks.

Whether her Department will achieve an average 5% annual real-terms reduction in resource spending between 2025-26 and 2028-29.

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 [page 146] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/Budget_2025.

How many standards checks of approved driving instructor trainers have been carried out in each of the last five years; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of periods of more than five years without quality assurance checks on training quality.

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.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2026 to Question 108301, what the cost was of applying the temporary Bee Network promotional livery to that Northern train; and whether that cost was met by (a) her Department, (b) the train operator, (c) Great British Railways Transition Team and (d) Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The cost of applying the temporary Bee Network promotional livery to the Northern train was met by Transport for Greater Manchester.

What role her Department has in overseeing the safety and adequacy of compulsory pilotage arrangements in UK waters; and whether her Department holds or reviews records relating to pilotage incidents involving vessels operating under compulsory pilotage.

The assessment and provision of pilotage services are matters for Competent Harbour Authorities (CHAs). Given the local knowledge and experience necessary, as well as wide variations between ports, they remain best placed to assess what arrangements are necessary. The Department has responsibility for the effective and efficient functioning of the legislative framework and is content that current arrangements under the Pilotage Act 1987 remain fit for purpose. The Department does not hold any records relating to pilotage. However, these may be reviewed should there be an incident requiring investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and/or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78719 on East West Rail Line, when she expects (a) train testing, (b) driver training and (c) general works to be completed in order for the new station at Winslow to open.

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.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 113313 on Driving Instruction: Vacancies, how many of those positions were individually advertised, how many were (a) full-time, and (b) part-time, and where those individual positions were advertised on GOV.UK.

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 any campaigns for individual posts. As stated in the answer to Question 113313, all DVSA examiner roles are open to applications from people seeking full-time, or part-time, employment. DVSA also has a careers page on GOV.UK which highlights the DE role. This page directs any interested candidates wishing to apply, to live DE recruitment campaigns on Civil Service Jobs.

Whether the Government will specify a minimum pass mark for any safeguarding test required for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.

The Department’s existing statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the content and format of such training, including whether it includes a test with a minimum pass mark. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.

Whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the introduction on Rule H1 on the behaviour of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists since January 2022; what assessment she has made in trends in the level of defensive behaviour among vulnerable road users; and what the evidential basis is for concluding that the hierarchy improves safety outcomes for all road users, including motorists.

The previous Government updated the Highway Code in 2022 to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses including the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. New rule H1 set out that ‘those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others. This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, vans/minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles. Cyclists, horse riders and drivers of horse drawn vehicles likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians. None of this detracts from the responsibility of ALL road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, to have regard for their own and other road users’ safety.’ The previous Government did not initiate any assessment of their introduction of Rule H1.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107147 on Hybrid Vehicles: Safety, if he will place a copy in the Library of the insurance industry analysis; and what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of that analysis.

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 effectiveness of that analysis.

Whether her Department has provided (a) funding and (b) advice to the European Federation for Transport and Environment since 4 July 2024.

The Department has not provided funding to the European Federation for Transport and Environment, but has met with them as part of routine official-level stakeholder engagement.

How many motorcyclists have been (a) killed and (b) seriously injured following a collision with a wire rope safety barrier in each of the last 10 years.

The information requested is not held.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 108456 on Great British Railways: Finance, whether (a) internal modelling, (b) business case documentation and (c) analytical assessment underpins the commitment to achieve net savings from corporate initiatives in 2028–29 financial.

Forecasts for the corporate initiatives which formed part of the Department’s Efficiency plan were informed by a mix of internal modelling and initial business case development.

Pursuant to the Answers of 10 February 2026 to Questions 108456 and 108457 and 11 February 2026 to Question 108458, whether the corporate initiative efficiency saving in 2028–29 assumes changes in (a) passenger revenue forecasts, (b) subsidy requirements for train operators and (c) service specification.

The £199 million efficiencies in the Support for Rail Passenger Services line are expected to be delivered mostly from more efficient workforce management, economies of scale as private sector operating companies move into public ownership, and ticketing and retail reform including the creation of a single Great British Railways online retail offer. These efficiencies contribute to the more than 50 per cent reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy from £2.4 billion in 2024-25.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the ongoing technical fault affecting motorway enforcement cameras; and if she will state a) when she was first informed of the issue, b) which enforcement systems are affected, c) what estimate her Department has made of the number of cameras currently offline, and d) what timetable has been set with National Highways for restoring full functionality.

The Transport Secretary was briefed in September, and as soon as Ministers were informed of the national scale in October, they acted immediately to prevent any further incorrect fines, points or prosecutions. The technical anomaly impacts 154 Highways Agency Digital Enforcement and Compliance System cameras deployed on 10% of the strategic road network. As set out in response to WPQ 103428 on 19 January, a Home Office approved solution to this issue has been agreed, and National Highways and the police are continuing to work together to implement this as a priority.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the National Audit Office’s report entitled Investigation into car driving test waiting areas, published on 17 December 2025; and how many examiners the DVSA is on target to recruit.

Following the publication of the NAO report and the appointment of a new Chief Executive, DVSA is accelerating its efforts to increase the supply of tests in order to reduce waiting times. DVSA is driving a strengthened and faster recruitment pipeline and working to expand its training sites and reduce training timelines to get new DEs conducting tests almost 30% more quickly.

Whether she plans to reduce average waiting times for practical car driving tests to seven weeks by summer 2026.

Following the publication of the NAO report and the appointment of a new Chief Executive, DVSA is accelerating its efforts to increase the supply of tests in order to reduce waiting times. DVSA is driving a strengthened and faster recruitment pipeline and working to expand its training sites and reduce training timelines to get new DEs conducting tests almost 30% more quickly.