Written questions by Dillon.

What steps she is taking to improve road safety for horses and horse riders.

In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse riders.The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Results from the last campaign showed that by September 2023, 93% of drivers agreed it was their responsibility to give space to vulnerable road users. We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of slip roads on the A34 in Newbury on passenger safety.

National Highways has undertaken several studies across various sections of the A34 to understand where improvements could be made. In 2017, the Department commissioned National Highways to conduct an in-depth safety review of the route to study incident hotspots. This work identified and delivered £12.1m of improvements to the route between Newbury and Oxford, including to the slip roads at East Illsley, West Berkshire.

What steps her Department is taking to improve road safety on slip roads on the A34 in Newbury.

In 2017, the Department commissioned National Highways to conduct an in-depth safety review of the route to study incident hotspots, which identified and delivered £12.1m of improvements to the route between Newbury and Oxford, including to the slip roads at East Illsley, West Berkshire. National Highways continues to review the safety performance of these sections of the strategic road network and consider the case for further investment where necessary. I have asked National Highways to engage with local MPs on the route regarding this work.

Whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to National Highways to improve road safety on the A34 around Newbury constituency.

Safety remains the Department and National Highways top priority as we develop the third Road Investment Strategy, which will set out National Highways strategic objectives, deliverables and funding to operate and maintain the strategic road network for the period 2026 – 2031.

Whether her Department holds plans for supporting rail networks affected by flooding.

Network Rail and other operators are responsible for planning for flooding events and have contingency plans in place. The Department keeps in close contact with these operators in such events and would take appropriate action as necessary.

Whether her Department plans to help restore direct off-peak Paddington services to (a) Hungerford and (b) Kintbury.

There are no current plans to increase the number of direct services between Paddington and Hungerford/Kintbury, as this would require additional rolling stock which is currently unfunded.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a discounted railcard for people aged 30 to 60 years old who earn below the average.

There are several Railcards that people aged 30 to 60 are eligible to hold, including the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card that offers 50 per cent off selected rail fares. Affordability of rail travel is one of our key objectives. However, any concessi...

What guidance her Department issues on the amount of time a level crossing may be down each day; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delays caused by crossings being down on (a) commuter

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), in its capacity as the independent safety regulator for Britain’s railways, works closely with the rail industry to improve level crossing safety, including by issuing guidance on managing level crossings and minimising ...

Whether her Department is taking steps to stop automated systems from booking driving test slots for financial gain.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards. To increase the number of available test slots, it is conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners. Driving examiners from areas with lower waiting times continue to travel and test in those centres with longer waiting times. This is in addition to DVSA recruiting additional examiners across the country into areas where waiting times are highest. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests. Such apps or bots are not approved by DVSA. They make it harder for candidates to get a test and can also result in people paying more for a test. DVSA will continue to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system, which are having a positive impact. In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Since then, DVSA has issued 283 warnings, 746 suspensions, and closed 689 businesses for misuse of its booking service. To ensure its booking system is used correctly, DVSA has also:stopped accepting new automatic online registrations to use its tests booking service – any new applications must be made by email, where they will be thoroughly checked by DVSA.stopped accepting any new registrations from companies who do not directly employ a driving instructor.removed registrations not linked to driving instructors.reduced the number of times a driving test appointment can be changed from 10 to the pre-pandemic limit of 6. Following these changes, there has been a significant drop in traffic to these services because DVSA is successfully identifying and blocking apps or bots.

What steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce waiting times for driving tests and (b) ensure people can take their driving test locally.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards. To increase the number of available test slots, it is conducting tests outside of regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from driving examiners. Driving examiners from areas with lower waiting times continue to travel and test in those centres with longer waiting times. This is in addition to DVSA recruiting additional examiners across the country into areas where waiting times are highest. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests. Such apps or bots are not approved by DVSA. They make it harder for candidates to get a test and can also result in people paying more for a test. DVSA will continue to take steps to block cancellation services from accessing the booking system, which are having a positive impact. In January 2023, DVSA changed the terms and conditions for using the booking service to help prevent anyone from selling tests at profit. Since then, DVSA has issued 283 warnings, 746 suspensions, and closed 689 businesses for misuse of its booking service. To ensure its booking system is used correctly, DVSA has also:stopped accepting new automatic online registrations to use its tests booking service – any new applications must be made by email, where they will be thoroughly checked by DVSA.stopped accepting any new registrations from companies who do not directly employ a driving instructor.removed registrations not linked to driving instructors.reduced the number of times a driving test appointment can be changed from 10 to the pre-pandemic limit of 6. Following these changes, there has been a significant drop in traffic to these services because DVSA is successfully identifying and blocking apps or bots.