Written questions by Shannon.

What steps are being taken to improve regional transport.

This Department is delivering improved regional transport through the £92 billion Spending Review settlement it received, driving the biggest boost to transport infrastructure in a generation and unlocking schemes that deliver for the taxpayer and support growth. In addition, where transport is devolved, the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have received the largest ever block grants in real terms, giving them record funding to invest in their own priorities.

What steps she is taking to improve regional air travel.

Regional airports serve our local communities and act as a gateway to international opportunities, alongside maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations.The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. It is for airports to invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers by responding to demand for different routes.The public service obligation (PSO) regulations enable the protection of existing domestic routes that are in danger of being lost. The government currently joint-funds three PSO routes into London from Derry/Londonderry, Newquay and Dundee.

What recent discussions she has had with British Airways on reducing the number of cancelled flights.

The resilience of the UK aviation sector is key to its success. As UK aviation operates predominately in the private sector, it is the responsibility of industry to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place to minimise potential disruption and cancellations. My officials regularly engage with the aviation sector to discuss strategies in place to minimise disruption and cancellations and ensure resilience exists across the network to deliver for their customers. This involves regular communication with airlines, including British Airways, airports, ground handling agents and industry bodies.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken for driving tests and MOTs.

The national average waiting time in Great Britain (GB) for a car practical driving test in November 2025 was 22 weeks. 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 across GB. The agency is intensifying its efforts to reduce waiting times and improve access to driving tests that will break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change. On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times in GB. Further information on the measures announced can be found on GOV.uk. DVSA supervises the delivery of light vehicle MOTs in GB through its approved MOT garages. However, as these are private garages, DVSA does not collate overall average waiting time data for MOTs.

What steps she is taking to improve electric vehicle charging provision.

While transport in Northern Ireland is largely devolved to the Department for Infrastructure, the Department for Transport is supporting Northern Ireland’s transition to zero emission vehicles and has regular meetings to discuss the transition. Additionally, through Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund, we are providing up to £3.27 million to upgrade and expand the electric vehicle charging network. Previously, two grants totalling £1.38 million were awarded under the On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.

What steps she is taking to improve road safety outside schools.

The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government.Local authorities have a range of traffic management measures available to them to help improve safety outside schools including reducing speed limits, traffic calming, and introduction of a School Street where appropriate. On 19 November 2024 Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published joint School Streets Guidance. The guidance is available at School Streets: how to set up and manage a scheme - GOV.UK

What steps she is taking to improve (a) road resurfacing and (b) other infrastructure completion times.

This year, the Government made an additional £500 million available for local highway authorities to maintain their highway network, bringing the total to a record investment of nearly £1.6 billion. A quarter of the additional funding is contingent upon local highway authorities complying with certain criteria aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highways maintenance. The Government also supports the rollout of lane rental schemes. This allows highway authorities to charge up to £2,500 per day for works on the busiest roads at peak times. This encourages quicker completion, off-peak working, or relocating works to reduce disruption on our roads. From January 2026, authorities will be able to use 50% of lane rental revenue for highway maintenance. Highway authorities can issue overrun charges of up to £10,000 per day for works that exceed agreed timeframes. Currently these charges can only be applied on weekdays, however we are making changes to allow these charges to apply on weekends and bank holidays. Finally, the Government has set out a new approach to infrastructure in the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, which was published in June 2025. This will restore confidence and drive economic growth by providing stability and certainty, and improve how infrastructure projects, like transport, are planned and delivered. We are working closely with HMT to ensure lessons learned from transport projects, such as set out in the James Stewart Review (published in June 2025) are incorporated into future priorities. The Department has accepted all recommendations from this Review and is already taking steps to implement them.

What discussions she has had with her counterparts in Northern Ireland on electric vehicle charging provision.

My officials regularly engage with the Department for Infrastructure on zero emission vehicle (ZEV) initiatives, including charging infrastructure provision. Minister Lightwood met the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure in April during the British-Irish Council meeting, and I met with the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure earlier this month as part of the Interministerial Group for Transport. Both including discussions on the ZEV transition.

What discussions she has had with local councils on ensuring that there are sufficient road grit boxes for road users to use in winter 2025-26.

Responsibility for winter road maintenance, including grit boxes, is a devolved matter. As such this answer relates only to England. Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a duty on highway authorities to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice. It is for local highway authorities to determine what the most appropriate measures are to achieve this, based on local circumstances.

Whether her Department has had discussions on disruption by drones at airports with (a) pilots, (b) other aviation professionals (c) the Ministry of Defence and (d) governments of other European countries that have experienced such disruption; and what steps her Department plans to take to counter such risks to commercial aviation.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure there are appropriate contingency plans in place to minimise potential disruption. The Department for Transport, Home Office and Ministry of Defence engage regularly with the aviation sector to gain assurances of their security plans, including in response to drone incursions at UK airports. The Department for Transport is going further by mandating the use of Remote Identification (RID) for drones allowing them to be tracked and identified. RID will protect the airspace, its users and the public from unlawful and unsafe drones operating without adequate permissions, including around UK airports.

What assessment she has made of the risk of (a) harm and (b) disruption from unauthorised drone activity to (i) UK commercial airports and (ii) commercial air traffic operating in UK airspace.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. It is therefore the responsibility of industry to ensure there are appropriate contingency plans in place to minimise potential disruption. The Department for Transport, Home Office and Ministry of Defence engage regularly with the aviation sector to gain assurances of their security plans, including in response to drone incursions at UK airports. The Department for Transport is going further by mandating the use of Remote Identification (RID) for drones allowing them to be tracked and identified. RID will protect the airspace, its users and the public from unlawful and unsafe drones operating without adequate permissions, including around UK airports.

What estimate she has made of the proportion of UK cars powered solely by electric.

In the 12 months ending June 2025, 4.4% of all licensed cars in the UK were zero emission battery electric cars, equivalent to 1.5 million cars.

What discussions she has had with Transport for London on improving safety on the London Underground.

Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London (TfL) on a variety of issues. However transport in London is devolved to the Mayor, and TfL is responsible for safety on the London Underground.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of trends in levels of fatigue among pilots flying in UK airspace.

There are stringent regulations in place to prevent pilot fatigue. The risk of flight crew fatigue is managed under the flight time limitation regulations which limit the number of hours pilots can be on duty.  The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the UK’s independent aviation safety regulator, monitors and oversees UK Airlines’ management of flight time limitation requirements and how these impact pilot fatigue.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of commercial airline pilots the UK will need to train each year to provide the workforce required (a) at current levels and (b) to meet anticipated levels of future demand.

As the UK aviation sector operates predominantly in the private sector, it is for individual airlines to recruit and train pilots to meet today’s demand and the demand of the future. I therefore welcome the funded pilot training programmes that British Airways, TUI and Jet2.com have introduced, that will ensure a sustainable pipeline of future pilots.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's polices on air travel safety of the plane crash at Southend airport in July 2025.

I would like to reassure you that UK airspace and operators are among the safest in the world. However, we are not complacent, and the government is committed to maintaining and improving high safety standards in aviation in the UK and across the world.The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is currently leading the investigation into the recent accident at Southend Airport. At this stage, we are unable to comment on the progress or findings of the investigation. However, should any safety concerns arise regarding the aircraft or its operator, the Department stands ready to take prompt and decisive action to mitigate any risks in collaboration with the AAIB and Civil Aviation Authority.

What steps her Department is taking to support the aviation sector.

This Government has shown that it will support the UK aviation sector by backing airport expansions that promote economic growth while meeting climate and environmental standards, as well as ending years of uncertainty by inviting proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. We have introduced a package of measures to encourage the production and use of homegrown Sustainable Aviation Fuel, positioning the UK as a world leading destination for this new market.  The new revenue certainty mechanism will provide a price guarantee for SAF producers that will boost jobs across the country. This delivers on the UK’s clean energy and growth missions. We have also recently announced the go ahead for the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) which will improve confidence in the delivery of airspace modernisation in the UK, fulfilling a key manifesto commitment to enable quicker, quieter and cleaner flights.

What discussions she has had with her Indian counterpart on the investigation into the recent Air India crash.

The Government is regularly engaging with counterparts in India while the Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau leads the investigation. This has been supported by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the US National Transportation Safety Board. The Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau must be given the time and space to undertake a thorough investigation and make an official statement when ready to do so. I do want to reaffirm my deepest sympathies to those who lost their lives in the tragic incident of AI Flight 171, as well as to their loved ones.

Whether she is taking steps to measure the potential impact of active travel funding on the number and proportion of trips (a) walked, (b) wheeled and (c) cycled.

The Department for Transport and Active Travel England have developed a number of tools that measure the potential impact on numbers and proportions of people walking and cycling of active travel investment. This includes tools to enable local authorities to estimate increases in walking and cycling and the associated cost-benefit case for individual active travel schemes and the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) Model.

What steps she is taking to encourage people who do not regularly exercise to become more active through the Active Travel Fund.

In February, the Department and ATE announced £8.5 million of funding over 25/26 for Cycling UK, Living Streets and Modeshift to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives in schools and communities, including a focus on less physically active groups. In addition, ATE has allocated £40.5 million in revenue funding over 25/26 for local authorities through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. This funding can be used by local authorities to deliver outreach schemes and complements Bikeability funding for school children and Active Travel Social Prescribing Pilots underway in some authorities.