Written questions by Smart.

How many drivers are reliant on Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to continue driving while awaiting a medical licensing decision from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated will deliver significant improvements, including improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication. The DVLA will also be launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers. No information is available on the number of drivers utilising Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which may allow drivers to continue driving while their driving licence application is being processed if they can meet specific criteria. While the DVLA advises applicants of this provision, it is for individual drivers to determine if they meet the required criteria. If drivers are uncertain, they should seek advice from their doctor(s). More information is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to process medical driving licence applications since the introduction of its new casework system on drivers with medical conditions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated will deliver significant improvements, including improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication. The DVLA will also be launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers. No information is available on the number of drivers utilising Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which may allow drivers to continue driving while their driving licence application is being processed if they can meet specific criteria. While the DVLA advises applicants of this provision, it is for individual drivers to determine if they meet the required criteria. If drivers are uncertain, they should seek advice from their doctor(s). More information is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that residents are not left liable for the costs of remediating fire safety defects caused by developer failures and regulatory weaknesses; and whether he plans to take legislative steps to support Resident Management Companies in meeting building safety compliance requirements.

Government has introduced caps for most leaseholders to limit their exposure to building safety costs and worked with industry such that fifty-three developers have, as of 31 October 2025, agreed to fix or pay to fix 2,497 buildings in England with life-critical fire safety defects, at an estimated cost of £4.2bn. When a developer cannot be identified or has not yet agreed to pay for its own buildings, funding has been made directly available to pay for life-threatening fire risks associated with cladding on residential buildings over 11m in height. To support resident management companies, the Building Safety Act introduced remediation contribution orders (RCOs), allowing interested persons (including RMCs) to compel responsible entities to meet remediation costs. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 allowed RMCs to recover the legal costs of raising an RCO from residents where they may otherwise struggle to raise funds. The Government remains committed to strengthening protections for leaseholders from current and future building safety issues and is exploring options to support RMCs in meeting their building safety compliance requirements.

What assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in the speed of implementation of the McCloud remedy across public service pension schemes; and what steps are being taken to ensure consistent and timely implementation for all affected members.

Scheme managers of the individual public service pension schemes are responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of the McCloud delivery to affected members. This is a complex and wide-ranging exercise. The amount of progress that has been made varies across schemes due to factors including the complexity of cases. I have written to scheme managers to remind them of their responsibilities to implement the remedy as quickly as possible and ensure that scheme members and the Pensions Regulator are kept informed of progress.

When her Department will asses the impact of changes to income tax and national insurance, monitored through information collected from tax receipts, as referenced in Income Tax: Maintaining the Personal Allowance and the basic rate limit for Income Tax, and equivalent National Insurance contributions thresholds until 5 April 2031, published on 26 November 2025.

HMRC monitor the receipts of all taxes monthly through the Tax receipt and National Insurance Contributions publication. Revenue estimates from, and individuals impacted by, maintaining thresholds are set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility in their November 2025 Economic and fiscal outlook, and the detailed forecast table of receipts: Office for Budget Responsibility – Economic and fiscal outlook – November 2025 Office for Budget Responsibility - Economic and fiscal outlook detailed forecast tables: receipts

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of DVLA's new casework system on processing times and the number of cases that have not been processed.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is rolling out a new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated. This will deliver significant improvements, including improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication. The DVLA will also be launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.

Whether her Department has conducted analysis of 20mph zones introduced across different localities in England comparing their impact on number of incidents, serious injuries and fatalities; and whether her Department has developed best practice guidance to ensure consistent delivery.

The Department’s comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph signed-only limits was published on 22 November 2018. It substantially strengthened the evidence base on perceptions, speeds and early outcomes associated with 20mph speed limits. The power to set local speed limits, including 20mph limits and 20mph zones remains with traffic authorities. Any authority that wishes to install such schemes has the Department’s full backing. We believe that traffic authorities are best placed to decide where lower limits will be effective on the roads for which they are responsible, and that consultation and community support should be at the heart of the process. As outlined in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance on ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’. This will support local authorities in making well‑informed decisions about managing speed on their roads.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to analyse the forthcoming annual sewage discharge data to identify differences in company performance before and after the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 came into force.

Pollution incidents from the activities of the water industry are unacceptable and can have a devastating impact on our environment. The water industry must do more to reduce pollution and protect our rivers, lakes and seas. As part of the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, a new duty has been created on water and sewerage undertakers in England and Wales, to produce annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans (PIRPs). These statutory plans require water and sewerage undertakers to report on the number and severity of pollution incidents attributable to their networks over the last calendar year and propose actions to reduce that number in the next year. The first statutory PIRP will be published by 1 April 2026.

With reference to Dft 1-985, what progress she has made towards implementation of targets for Road Safety and the methods for monitoring of these targets in the long-term.

In November 2025, we published research and analysis on “Effectiveness of targets for road safety” which can be found here: Effectiveness of targets for road safety - GOV.UK. The evidence suggests that targets play a role in reducing fatalities, but their impact cannot be separated from wider road safety strategies. On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets ambitious targets to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65%, and 70% for children, by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to protect vulnerable road users, update vehicle safety technologies and review motoring offences. The Strategy also includes a set of Safety Performance Indicators to provide an understanding of performance against the commitments made in the strategy, including the targets. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board which I will chair.

Media and Sport, what is her planned timescale for further reviewing reform of annual society lottery licence limits.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We want to see them continue to thrive, alongside the National Lottery.On 26 June 2025, the Government announced it would not be making further changes to society lottery limits, and has no plans to review this decision.

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Pensions Ombudsman operating on a voluntary basis, in the context of (a) its statutory responsibilities and (b) its role in resolving pension disputes.

We have interpreted this question as being about complaints that are resolved through The Pension Ombudsman’s (TPO) Resolution Service (RS). TPO operates independently to deliver its statutory responsibilities. Its RS includes 22 employed pension specialists and 150 industry experts working on a voluntary basis. RS provides an informal route for resolving disputes and reducing pressure on formal investigations. In 2024/25, the RS resolved 1,512 complaints, 80% of the 1905 received, without the requirement for a formal ombudsman investigation. Where early resolution is not possible, the Pensions Ombudsman retains full statutory authority to investigate and determine cases.

Whether officials from HM Treasury who are providing support to the pensions Ombudsman have any involvement in the investigation of complaints concerning pension schemes for which HM Treasury has policy responsibility; and what steps are taken to avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

No officials from HM Treasury are currently seconded to The Pensions Ombudsman and therefore there is no involvement of HM Treasury officials in its casework.

When she will update Circular 01/2007 on speed camera guidance.

As outlined in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government will be reviewing and updating its guidance, including Circular 1/007 ‘The use of speed and red-light cameras for traffic enforcement: guidance on deployment, visibility and signing’. The update is under development and will be informed by research and evidence.

What mechanisms are in place to help facilitate Parliamentary scrutiny of contracts awarded for the administration of public sector pension schemes; and how value for money and performance are monitored once such contracts are awarded.

Details of Government contracts over £12,000 are published online primarily to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in the expenditure of public money. Ministers and senior officials regularly appear before parliamentary committees as an integral part of the parliamentary process of holding the government to account. The Sourcing Playbook emphasises best practice managing contracts through a proactive, partnership-based approach, ensuring they are designed for effective monitoring from the outset. This includes guidance on robust, ongoing contract management to deliver public services efficiently, requiring clear KPIs, performance monitoring, and risk mitigation, particularly for major outsourcing projects.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of seasonal trends in licence processing through the DVLA including the number and type of decisions, length of time to respond and delays in decision-making; whether any assessment has been made of non-seasonal variations in the number and type of decisions required; and how the DVLA ensures prompt responses to the public.

No assessment of seasonal or non-seasonal trends of variations in driving licence applications has been made. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. Customers should receive their driving licence within a few days following a successful online application. Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer as they vary widely in complexity and the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. In 2024/25, the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions. Its forecasts show that it is likely to receive more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications in the current financial year and this growth is forecast to continue. The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. This will provide improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication. The DVLA will also be launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications and answer telephone calls, will start to deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.

What guidance her Department provides on the complaints and redress routes available to vulnerable patients who have concerns about the contractual terms of telecare services to which they are referred following hospital discharge.

By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints, and anyone who has seen or experienced poor-quality care has the right to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.Telecare is not a mandatory service for local authorities, but many choose to provide a telecare service due to its benefits. Some local authorities will also fully or partially fund telecare for some individuals based on a financial assessment. Local authorities are responsible for the contractual terms of telecare services that they provide, therefore in the first instance an individual should consider making a complaint with the relevant local authority.If an individual is not satisfied with the way a local authority has dealt with their complaint, they may escalate it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman who can investigate individual concerns. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is the independent complaints lead for adult social care and investigates complaints from those receiving social care.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of violence prevention measures in accident and emergency departments; and what steps she is taking to help improve the safety of NHS staff working in A&E settings.

Everyone working in the National Health Service has a fundamental right to be safe at work, including those working in accident and emergency settings providing rapid and critical care.Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place measures, including, security, training, and emotional support for staff affected by violence.In April 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced that the Social Partnership Forum’s recommendations on tackling and reducing violence, part of the 2023 Agenda for Change pay deal, had been accepted in full. This includes measures to improve data and reporting, strengthen risk assessment, and improve training and support for victims. This will be bolstered by the introduction of a new set of staff standards, as detailed in the 10-Year Health Plan.

What assessment she has made of the performance of the Report Fraud service since its launch in December 2025 including of the (a) average response times to fraud reports, (b) proportion of reports resulting in investigation by local police forces and (c) victim satisfaction compared to the previous Action Fraud service.

Report Fraud is the new and improved national police reporting service for fraud and cybercrime which replaced the previous Action Fraud service on 4 December 2025.Report Fraud uses the latest technology to enhance the reporting experience and report updates for victims, and to improve the speed and quality of information shared with police, increasing the chances of successful investigations and prosecutions.The City of London Police, who oversee the service, have provided data from the service which shows the following improvements compared to the previous service:In December 2025, eleven thousand more calls were answered compared to December 2024.In January 2026, when reporting cases of fraud, victims had a call satisfaction of 92%, Webchat satisfaction of 100%, and chatbot satisfaction of 90%.The average time to send viable reports to a local force to consider for investigation has dropped to 5.25 days (November 2025-January 2026) from 37.25 days the year prior (November 2024-January 2025).In January 2026, cases sent to police forces were at a higher level than January 2025. However, data is not yet available on the proportion of these cases sent to forces that are being taken forward by forces for investigation.Since Report Fraud has gone live, the service has been able to assist victims in recovering £1.8 million.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of consumer protections for customers from price rises from telecommunications and subscription television providers; and what steps she is taking to ensure that price increase terms linked to inflation indices are transparent and clearly communicated to consumers.

The Government supports Ofcom’s strengthened transparency rules, which came into force in January 2025, to ensure consumers know clearly how and when any price changes will occur. These rules require telecoms and Pay TV providers to set out in pounds and pence, and in plain English, any in‑contract price increase before the customer signs up, so people can understand and compare deals easily.Ofcom has also previously introduced clearer and easier switching rights, meaning that where price rises occur under a “prices may vary” contract, consumers now have more straightforward routes to switch provider and find a better deal if they choose to do so.On top of this, on 11 February, the Chancellor and Secretary of State secured further voluntary action from telecoms companies through the new Telecoms Consumer Charter. This Charter strengthens transparency further, prevents unexpected mid‑contract price increases where rises have been specified upfront, and includes additional commitments aimed at empowering consumers and improving support for those struggling to pay.The Government will continue working closely with Ofcom to ensure consumers are protected from unfair pricing practices across telecommunications services.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that contracts drawn up by telecare services provided by local authority-connected bodies comply with consumer protection legislation, data protection legislation, and do not disadvantage vulnerable clients.

Telecare is not a mandatory service for local authorities, but many choose to provide a telecare service due to its benefits. Local authorities are responsible for the contractual terms of telecare services that they provide. All public authorities are required to comply with current procurement legislation when procuring goods and services. This includes legislation relating to Data Protection and Consumer rights.The Department is developing national telecare guidelines to give commissioners, providers, and users clarity about what good telecare looks like now and in the future. This will support local authorities to commission safe, reliable, and digitally compatible telecare services that safeguard vulnerable telecare users.