Written questions by Robertson.

What the average processing time was for driving licence applications in December 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January to question UIN 103613.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of Air Passenger Duty on domestic air routes and regional airport connectivity in the UK, compared with the approach taken by other European countries to supporting internal air connectivity.

The Government is committed to the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK and recognises the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver connectivity. In April 2023, reforms to APD took effect, aiming to bolster air connectivity within the UK. This included the introduction of a new band for domestic flights, initially set at half the rate for short-haul international flights. The domestic rate applies to all flights between airports in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (excluding private jets) and is currently set at £7 for economy passengers until April 2026. The Government is clear that APD is an appropriate tax that ensures airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. Other countries also have different forms of aviation taxes.

Whether he has made a recent assessment of the eligibility of tenants who purchase electricity via landlord-supplied prepayment card systems for support under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

In 2025, the Government consulted on whether to expand the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme to other households without a direct relationship with their energy supplier (including those pay their landlord for energy). Given the cost of the scheme falls on energy bills it was decided not to expand the scheme in this way. Households who are ineligible for a rebate payment may still be eligible for support through Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives.

How much revenue his Department expects to raise annually from the inclusion of domestic maritime in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme; and what proportion of that revenue will be recycled into maritime decarbonisation projects.

The Government’s Impact Assessment estimates that bringing domestic maritime into the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme will increase allowance purchasing revenue by around £1.9 billion over the 20year appraisal period, averaging approximately £95 million a year. Receipts from the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme support the Government’s wider priorities, including spending that helps deliver the transition to net zero. The Government recognises that decarbonising the maritime sector requires a suite of policies, and continues to provide funding, guidance and policy support to facilitate the uptake of cleaner technologies across the sector.

What steps his Department is taking to align UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) maritime rules with the EU ETS to help (a) prevent (i) carbon leakage and (ii) port avoidance and (b) maintain competitiveness.

The Government has assessed the impacts of expansion of the Emissions Trading Scheme to domestic maritime. That Impact Assessment concluded that the policy is not expected to materially affect the competitiveness of ports or operators, and that applying the scheme consistently to domestic voyages and at berth emissions does not create a credible incentive for traffic diversion. This is in part because many of the core maritime rules closely mirror those for the EU Emissions Trading System. This will reduce administrative burden for operators participating in both regimes, and it will also ensure no double charging between the two regimes.

Whether her Department plans to review the UK Emissions Trading Scheme once the International Maritime Organisation rules come into force.

Addressing international emissions from shipping is critical and it is important action is taken globally through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). If the IMO Net-Zero Framework is introduced, the Government will review the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the system for operators.

How many ports have operational shore power infrastructure capable of supporting zero-emission operations; and how this compares with the number of ports affected by the inclusion of emissions at berth in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

The Government does not centrally record the level of live shore power infrastructure at ports, harbours, marinas, terminals or wharves, including whether they offer low voltage or high voltage shore power connections. We are aware of at least nine ports, harbours, marinas, terminals and wharves that have live operational shore power units that allows some vessels to run on shore power today. At least another two locations are currently installing shore power. Of these eleven locations, six of them received R&D funding through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme. The policies in the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy will encourage more investment in maritime decarbonisation, including shore power rollout at more ports.

Under the proposed pay-per-mile road charging scheme, whether mileage accrued by UK-registered vehicles while driving in the Republic of Ireland would be subject to UK charges; and whether mileage accrued by Republic of Ireland-registered vehicles while driving in Northern Ireland would be subject to any equivalent charge.

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that EVs (electric vehicles) contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. As with VED, eVED will apply to UK-registered vehicles; non-UK registered vehicles will be required to register for eVED after a period of six months in the UK. The Government has ruled out charging tax based on when or where people drive to protect motorists’ privacy. This means non-UK mileage driven by UK registered cars will fall into scope of eVED, as with fuel duty, which does not vary by basis of where a car is driven.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to maritime on shipping and ferry services serving British Overseas Territories; what assessment has been made of potential impacts on services to and from Crown Dependencies; and whether any mitigations or exemptions are being considered for these routes.

The UK Emissions Trading Scheme Authority has recently consulted on proposals to include a share of emissions from international maritime voyages, including voyages to and from Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. The consultation invited evidence on the potential impacts on their communities and economies.The Government recognise that some of these communities rely heavily on shipping and will continue to engage with Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories regarding the financial impacts this policy may have on their communities and economies. Policy decisions will be considered once consultation responses have been fully analysed and considered by the UK ETS Authority.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent rateable value increases on small accommodation providers, including the impact on business viability and local tourism-dependent economies.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget. The Government remains committed to ensuring the UK remains a world-class, competitive and sustainable destination. We aim to attract 50 million international visitors annually by 2030, and the forthcoming Growth Plan will set out how we intend to support jobs, investment, and regional prosperity. The VOA published the Draft non-domestic rating list on 26 November 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/non-domestic-rating-change-in-rateable-value-of-rating-lists-england-and-wales-2026-revaluation-draft-list

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of including domestic maritime within the UK Emissions Trading Scheme on the competitiveness of UK ports and shipping operators; and what steps he is taking to mitigate risks of traffic diversion.

The Government’s Impact Assessment for including domestic maritime emissions within the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme concluded that the policy is not expected to materially affect the competitiveness of United Kingdom ports or shipping operators. Compliance costs are proportionate, particularly on a per operator basis, and the scheme is designed to support cost effective decarbonisation across the sector. The Assessment also finds no credible risk of traffic diversion, as the scheme applies uniformly to domestic voyages and at berth emissions.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the methodology used by the Valuation Office Agency to calculate recent rateable value increases for self-catering accommodation.

Self-catered accommodation is valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating.

What factors the Valuation Office Agency takes into consideration in (a) coastal and (b) tourism-dependent areas when setting rateable values for self-catering accommodation.

Self-catered accommodation is valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of applying an interest rate of RPI plus 3% to Plan 2 student loans for graduates earning over £50,270 on the disposable income of those graduates.

Plan 2 student loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.Plan 2 loans interest rates are applied at the Retail Price Index (RPI) only, then variable up to RPI +3% depending on earnings. Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers, which stay at a constant rate of 9% above an earnings threshold to protect lower earners. If a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Any outstanding loan and interest is written off at the end of the loan term, and debit is never passed on to family members or descendants.

What estimate her Department has made of the average social value weighting applied by contracting authorities in procurements of new buses supported by Government funding schemes in each of the last five years.

My department devolves the procurement activities to the contracting authority for new buses and therefore does not hold information on the average social value weighting which may have been applied.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the scope within current procurement and trade obligations for contracting authorities to weight social value criteria to support UK jobs and supply chains in publicly funded bus procurements.

Through the work with the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel my department is currently seeking agreement to implement a minimum weighting for social value to be considered when undergoing bus procurement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104846, what assessment has been made of the risk that AI initiatives described as operating on a test-and-learn basis do not deliver the scale of efficiency savings assumed in the Departmental Efficiency Plan.

The department has not undertaken a specific risk assessment on whether the AI initiatives operating on a test-and-learn basis will deliver the scale of efficiency savings forecast in the Departmental Efficiency Plan. The department has agreed to achieve net efficiency savings of £199m from corporate initiatives, and these will be enabled by a broad range of activities, including the use of digital tools and utilisation of technology beyond specific AI initiatives; we are continuing to assess the impact and potential benefits of implementing AI and will continue to develop our alignment on AI initiatives across DfT, it’s Arm's Length Bodies, and Agencies.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned April 2026 business rates increase on community pharmacies.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This has led to increases in rateable values for some properties, as current values are based on pandemic-era valuations. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. At Budget, the Government announced wider reforms to business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, reducing tax rates paid for by a higher rate on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. The introduction of permanent, lower RHL tax rates is worth almost £1 billion to over 750,000 RHL properties. The tax rate on smaller high street businesses will be 25% lower than for businesses with the most valuable properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. This includes community pharmacies with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.

Whether HM Treasury has conducted or commissioned an impact assessment on how the April 2026 business rates increase may affect the financial sustainability of community pharmacies.

At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This has led to increases in rateable values for some properties, as current values are based on pandemic-era valuations. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. At Budget, the Government announced wider reforms to business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties, reducing tax rates paid for by a higher rate on the top one per cent of most expensive properties. The introduction of permanent, lower RHL tax rates is worth almost £1 billion to over 750,000 RHL properties. The tax rate on smaller high street businesses will be 25% lower than for businesses with the most valuable properties. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. This includes community pharmacies with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 105752, whether the Department has produced a breakdown for corporate initiatives equivalent to that published for executive agency reform, showing (a) gross efficiencies, (b) implementation costs and (c) net savings.

The department has agreed to achieving net savings of £199m in 28/29 from corporate initiatives as part of the Departmental Efficiency Plan. We do not currently hold a breakdown of how the net savings breakdown by gross efficiencies and implementation costs.