Written questions by Shannon.

What progress she has made on expanding the use of solar power at train stations.

The government is committed to establishing Great British Energy and significantly increasing the amount of renewable energy generation in the UK by 2030.Network Rail has already installed assets for the generation of renewable energy on the rail estate, including at stations, and is continuing the roll out of new assets.

What steps he is taking to improve night-time public transport to support the night-time economy.

The government knows that public transport is vital to keeping communities connected, including at night to support the nighttime economy. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This funding can be used in whichever way local authorities wish to improve services for passengers, including improving nighttime bus services. Rail services are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders, including by helping to improve access to night time services.

Whether she is taking steps to help promote an increase in the number of jobs available for pilots.

The Government is supporting the UK aviation sector to drive economic growth and create jobs, including for pilots. We’re backing airport expansions, promoting sustainable aviation fuel, and working with the industry, the CAA, and international partners to raise the profile of aviation careers and improve access. The Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund has provided over £2 million to support outreach programmes that help young people pursue careers in aviation.

How much funding will be allocated to electric vehicle charging points in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland will receive funding as part of their devolved settlement. Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ domestic and commercial chargepoint grants are available throughout the UK, including Northern Ireland.In addition, Northern Ireland has been awarded £1.35m through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, to install 127 public chargepoints.

What steps she is taking to ensure that drivers are meeting the eyesight standards for driving.

Driver licensing is devolved in Northern Ireland. In Great Britain, drivers are required by law to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect safe driving or if they are no longer able to meet the required eyesight standards for driving. When the DVLA is notified, an investigation will be carried out and the driver may be required to undertake a formal assessment of vision, which must be carried out by a professional optometrist on specialised equipment. The DVLA may also act on information received from third parties. These types of notifications are most commonly received from the police, healthcare professionals, family, friends or neighbours.If the police suspect that the driver of a vehicle does not meet the required standards of vision, then they can conduct a roadside vision test which requires the licence holder to be able to read a number plate from 20 metres in good daylight. If the police notify the DVLA that a driver has failed the test the licence will be revoked. If the driver does pass the eyesight test, the police can still notify the DVLA if they suspect that the driver has a medical condition or poor eyesight. The DVLA will then investigate to ensure the driver can meet the required standards.The Government supports the NHS’s advice that adults should have their eyes tested every two years. This recommendation is included in many of the DVLA’s application forms and information leaflets about driving. Optometrists and ophthalmologists also play an important part by advising their patients of the implications of their vision on driving and the effect of their eye condition or any treatment that they are receiving. The General Medical Council and General Optical Council guidance confirms that it is appropriate for practitioners to notify the DVLA directly about a patient that is medically unfit to drive where the patient cannot or will notify themselves.

What discussions she has had with her counterparts in Northern Ireland on tackling unsafe road conditions.

As transport is a devolved matter, it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive to mitigate for unsafe road conditions. Where appropriate, the Department for Transport will work with the Northern Ireland Executive on shared transport challenges.

What steps she is taking to improve transport links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Whilst transport is devolved, the Department for Transport is committed to enhancing links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The Department is providing funding for Transport Scotland’s feasibility study to explore options to bypass the villages of Springholm and Crocketford on the A75 and is supporting the Windsor Framework to streamline transport and customs processes. The Government is also supporting key aviation routes, including the Public Service Obligation between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

What steps she is taking to encourage the use of electric vehicles in public transport.

The Department is working with our rail industry stakeholders to develop credible long-term plans for further decarbonisation, bearing in mind the railway is already such a carbon efficient mode of transport. We expect electrification to play an important role in our programme to achieve our Net Zero 2050 target, tackle air pollution, and improve the passenger experience. Which rail lines will be electrified will broadly depend on the most suitable technological choice and value for money. All investment decisions require proper funding and are subject to current and future spending reviews and will be integrated with rolling stock decisions. Expanding the rollout of zero emission buses (ZEBs) is central to our efforts to decarbonise the bus fleet and improve air quality. The Bus Services Bill, currently going through Parliament, places a requirement on bus operators not to use new diesel buses on local bus routes in England. This will not take effect prior to 2030, giving time to the sector to plan a smooth transition. The UK continues to make positive advancements in the deployment of ZEBs year-on-year. More than 50% of new buses registered in 2024 were zero-emission: a record 1,600, up 33% on the previous year’s record of 1,200.

Whether she has had recent discussions with Boeing on the potential impact of technological advances in airplane manufacturing on travel times between London and the US.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not met individually with Boeing since taking up the post. A representative of Boeing joined the Secretary of State and other Ministers at a meeting of the Jet Zero Taskforce in December 2024.

What estimate she has made of the number of electric vehicle charging points in the UK.

As of 1 February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,234 publicly available charging devices (including 14,687 rapid charging devices) across the UK. More than 680,000 English households have access to a domestic charging device. Government workplace charging grants have supported the installation of over 1,400 chargepoint sockets in schools and 59,000 in other workplaces.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Minister of Infrastructure in the Northern Ireland Executive on improving the (a) frequency and (b) accessibility of (i) domestic and (ii) international flights from all Belfast airports.

I have not had recent discussions about Belfast Airports specifically.  However, the question of whether to operate an air service is a commercial matter for industry.  To maximise airlines’ and airports’ commercial and operational flexibility when making such decisions, my officials negotiate international treaties - “Air Services Agreements” – that ensure a wide range of options for operations from/to all UK airports. Furthermore, aviation must be accessible so that everyone can travel with dignity and ease. The Department launched the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group in November 2024.  It brings together industry and consumer representatives, including from the Consumer Council of Northern Ireland, to identify practical and achievable actions to improve aviation accessibility.  The Group is engaging widely with industry across the UK.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of funding provided by her Department for transport infrastructure on business productivity in each of the last five years.

DfT's annual report and accounts which are published on gov.uk set out the Department's spending and an assessment of the Department's performance each year.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of flight delays at Heathrow Airport on the economy in the last 12 months.

Delays at airports can impact passengers, airlines, airports and the environment. They can cause inconvenience to passengers and productivity impacts for business travellers. UK aviation operates in the private sector. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the sector to manage demand, ensuring appropriate contingency plans to minimise any potential disruption and put the consumer first. The information requested regarding the potential impact of flight delays at Heathrow Airport on the economy is not held centrally, and there are no current plans to make an estimate.

What steps she has taken to recruit more bus drivers.

Transport is a devolved matter, and the Department for Transport is responsible for transport in England only. Bus services in England are predominantly run on a commercial basis by private operators. Ultimate responsibility for recruiting bus drivers falls to individual operators. The government recognises the sector has had issues recruiting and retaining bus drivers in England, Scotland and Wales, but this is now more of a localised issue. The Department held a Driver Shortages Summit in 2022 with industry, and local and national government attendees to identify actions to help resolve this. In April 2024, the Department subsequently launched a consultation to help support driver recruitment on measures to amend licensing restrictions which would enable 18- to 20-year-olds to drive a bus and coach over 50km when driving a regular service and enable some of the tests required to be passed in order to gain a driver certificate of professional competence to be taken before a provisional licence is issued. The Department is reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of electric vehicle purchases in the last 12 months.

The Government closely monitors developments in the EV market. 2024 was a record year for the sale of new zero emission cars. In 2024 over 380,000 electric cars were sold, the highest number ever in the UK. These made up a fifth of the new car market – also the highest ever. In 2024, the UK overtook Germany to become the largest electric car market in Europe and the market as a whole grew by 2.6%, faster than France, Germany, and the EU. The electric van market also continues to experience growth. New electric van volumes increased by 3.3% in 2024, compared to the previous year.

How many claims have been successful for vehicles that have been damaged by potholes in the last year.

On England’s Strategic Road Network, compensation claims of this sort are a matter for National Highways, and their website provides further details of how claims are dealt with. Between 1 January and 31 December 2024, National Highways received 1552 claims for vehicle damage due to potholes, of which 717 (or 46%) have been successful. On local roads, compensation claims of this sort are a matter for the relevant local highway authority and the Department does not collect data on it.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the safety of LED headlights on cars (a) generally and (b) on country roads.

All types of road vehicle headlamps are designed, tested, and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare and ensure safety on a broad range of roads and environments. However, noting increased public concern about headlamp glare, Government has commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes and develop potential countermeasures. This work is underway and due to deliver in summer 2025; it will include real-world assessment of glare on a broad range of road types and scenarios including country roads.

If he will take steps to help ensure rail stations are step free.

Since April 2024, step free upgrades at 13 stations have been completed, with a further 18 due to be completed by April 2025. This will be the most stations completed in one year since the programme started in 2006. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that airports are accessible.

The Department for Transport launched the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group in November 2024. Led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, it brings together experts from industry and consumer representatives to develop practical and achievable industry-led actions to improve aviation accessibility throughout the consumer journey. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - the sector’s independent regulator – is also responsible for ensuring industry is meeting its legal obligations in relation to aviation accessibility. It undertakes annual assessments of airports against the Airport Accessibility Performance Framework, which provides a ranking of UK airports.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of waiting times for practical driving tests on the duration of the validity of driving theory tests.

It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.Ensuring new drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the preparation of new drivers, who are disproportionality represented in casualty statistics. Learners will therefore need to pass another theory test if their certificate expires.