Written questions by Robertson.

With reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Colombia; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What assessment her Department has made of increases in administrative regulatory burden arising from recent Civil Aviation Authority policy and guidance changes, and how these increases are compatible with the Government’s stated commitment in the Regulation Action Plan to a 25% reduction in such burdens.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Answer of 29 April 2026 to Question 129535 on British Transport Police: Finance, whether the Department plans to absorb the £256.2 million currently recovered from Train Operating Companies through Police Service Agreements into the public finances as services transfer into public ownership under Great British Railways; and what estimate it has made of the impact on departmental expenditure.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Lebanon; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Slovakia; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of coaches that are compliant with the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 for use in rail replacement services after the expiry of the current exemption on 31 July 2026.

The Government understands and recognises the specific challenges to comply with AIR within the rail replacement sector. We continue to work with partners, including the Rail Delivery Group, DfT Operator Limited and bus and coach trade bodies, to assess the sector’s readiness for full compliance across the whole rail network, and to provide support to help them achieve this. This includes the development of new technological solutions for providing information on board coaches, funding for smaller operators, and the existing time-limited exemption from the technical requirements of AIR, which is due to end on 31 July 2026. The exemption was put in place to ensure that rail passengers could still complete their journeys whilst rail replacement operators equipped their fleets to comply with the Regulations.

Whether loss of revenue from user charges at the Dartford Crossings is accounted for in the Department's finances.

The Government's preferred financing option at this stage is the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model. Under the RAB model, ownership and operations of the Dartford Crossing would transfer to a new regulated private sector entity, which would be responsible for operating and maintaining both the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing, ensuring a consistent and reliable service. This entity will be overseen by a regulator to ensure it performs and protects users. Charges from the Dartford Crossing and the new Lower Thames Crossing would be received by the regulated entity under this model. This means charges will be used to meet the costs of providing and operating the Crossings. This approach brings in private capital to fund the majority of construction, which will deliver value for taxpayers and reduce the overall pressure on public budgets. The Department has built the effect of this into its financial forecasts.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Sierra Leone; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel. (129385).

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What steps she is taking to reduce the number of driving tests terminated on the grounds of public safety.

Driving examiners will terminate a test on public safety grounds only where it is necessary to manage risk to the learner, the examiner or other road users. Through its "Ready to Pass?" campaign, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) encourage learners to make sure that they will be ready and able to take the test they have booked and to change or cancel their appointment in good time if they are not.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Argentina; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Awaiting answer.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Azerbaijan; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

Awaiting answer.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2026 to Question 127229 on British Transport Police: Finance, whether the cost of the British Transport Police has been included in the published cost estimates for rail nationalisation; and what estimate she has made of the net additional cost to the taxpayer arising from the transfer of these funding responsibilities to publicly owned rail operators.

Awaiting answer.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Tanzania; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has supported the protection of UK nationals, UK economic interests and the resilience of global maritime trade by strengthening maritime security overseas, particularly in relation to terrorism and major security threats. DfT has acted to build and enhance international maritime security capacity by working collaboratively with partner states to improve compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, thereby reducing risk to the UK’s supply chains, energy routes and the UK‑registered and wider Red Ensign Group shipping fleet. In March 2025 two DfT officials (1 x Higher Executive Officer and 1 x Senior Executive Officer) visited Tanzania to deliver capacity development workshops, undertake port security surveys and participate in a Women in Maritime symposium. The visit was approved by a Deputy Director (Senior Civil Servant) in DfT’s Transport Security Division in line with departmental policy. The total cost of the visit was £8,584.42. As part of the planning process, consideration was given to whether the engagement could be conducted remotely or combined with other official travel. While some preparatory and follow up activity was undertaken virtually, aspects of the engagement required on site delivery and therefore could not be fully conducted remotely.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Slovakia; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of the flight to Sierra Leone; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

How many driving test centres are in operation; what their maximum testing capacity is; what the utilisation rate is of each centre; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to booking arrangements on (i) waiting times and (ii) test slot utilisation.

Answers to written questions 101471 of 6 January, 104860 of 22 January, 122532 of 25 March, and 124195 of 17 April 2026, respectively provide data on how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to March 2026.In March 2026, DVSA provided car practical driving tests from 318 driving test centres (DTC). The national average utilisation figure was 75.74% in that month. The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066952) provides the utilisation figures for all DTCs in the same period. The capacity of each DTC will vary depending on the services it provides and whether DEs work full or part-time.DVSA takes a view of the number of DEs it needs, based on demand at a national level, then split down to test centre. The agency is working on a detailed view of DE requirements, based on demand forecast modelling at test centre level, rather than nationally. DVSA expects to have that view in summer 2026.Utilisation of DE time measures how much of a DE’s available deployable working time is used to deliver driving tests, rather than individual effort or productivity.The intention of the forthcoming changes to practical test booking arrangements will make the system fairer for genuine learners by reducing exploitation and churn. Other measures DVSA is deploying (such as recruiting more examiners and carrying out more overtime) are designed to improve waiting times and utilisation.

How many (a) driving examiners were employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each month since July 2024, (b) examiners were fully qualified and deployable in each of those months and (c) vacant driving examiner posts there were in each month for which data is available.

Answers to written questions 101471 of 6 January, 104860 of 22 January, 122532 of 25 March, and 124195 of 17 April 2026, respectively provide data on how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to March 2026.In March 2026, DVSA provided car practical driving tests from 318 driving test centres (DTC). The national average utilisation figure was 75.74% in that month. The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066952) provides the utilisation figures for all DTCs in the same period. The capacity of each DTC will vary depending on the services it provides and whether DEs work full or part-time.DVSA takes a view of the number of DEs it needs, based on demand at a national level, then split down to test centre. The agency is working on a detailed view of DE requirements, based on demand forecast modelling at test centre level, rather than nationally. DVSA expects to have that view in summer 2026.Utilisation of DE time measures how much of a DE’s available deployable working time is used to deliver driving tests, rather than individual effort or productivity.The intention of the forthcoming changes to practical test booking arrangements will make the system fairer for genuine learners by reducing exploitation and churn. Other measures DVSA is deploying (such as recruiting more examiners and carrying out more overtime) are designed to improve waiting times and utilisation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122891 on Driving Licences: Medical Records , what the timetable is for the (a) completion of updates to DVLA's online service (b) start of the operation of the new casework system.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 125013.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122317 on Railways: North of England, what the timetable is for (a) completing and (b) publishing a long-term strategy for the York area.

The decision was taken at the Spending Review to pause the project until a long-term strategy for the route can be developed further. The scheme will remain under review to ensure it can be delivered in the most effective way as part of a holistic strategy of investment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2026 to Question 124238 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, how many applicants have successfully received funding under the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking; and what the total value is of funding awarded under that scheme.

As of 1 January 2026, the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking grant has funded 39 sockets with a grant value of £13,531. The grant funds the installation of charge points at residential properties with on-street parking if they are also installing a cross-pavement solution. This grant is in addition to the £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant for local authorities. The Government has consulted on measures to reduce planning permission requirements for cross-pavement solutions, further supporting households with on-street parking, and will be responding in due course.