Written questions by Vickers.

What steps she is taking to help increase driver numbers in the logistics sector.

The Government is committed to supporting the logistics sector in developing the skilled workforces it needs. The Government has confirmed £136 million for Skills Bootcamps in 2025-26 to support more than 40,000 learners. Skills Bootcamps will remain an important part of skills provision and are now funded through Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local areas directly, empowering local leaders with greater control over skills development. Local leaders are considering what occupations, including HGV driving, to prioritise. The Government also continues to support the sector with skills training through the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver apprenticeships, and through Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) via Jobcentre Plus.

What plans she has to expand EV charging infrastructure in underserved regions.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 November 2025, Government and industry have supported the installation of 86,798 publicly available charging devices, up 22% on this time last year. In 2024, the number of publicly available charging devices in rural areas of England increased by 45%.Government’s £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund allocated capital and resource funding across England. Funding allocations were determined through an assessment of local authority need, including deprivation levels and rurality. The North East region was allocated over £25m LEVI funding to leverage significant private investment and expand the number of local public chargepoints across the region.The £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant is also available, which is intended to empower local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging solutions. The North East was allocated over £1.6m to support the installation of pavement channels alongside public chargepoints.

What assessment has been made of progress on introducing simpler and more integrated fares across rail and bus networks.

The Government recognises the value of greater integration between rail and bus networks, including in relation to ticketing and fares, and will continue to work with local transport authorities, operators and passengers to improve the fares and ticketing offer for passengers across England. PlusBus is a well-established integrated ticketing product, allowing passengers to add unlimited local bus and tram travel to their rail ticket where available. A digital version is now available in many regions across England, making combined journeys simpler and more convenient. Programmes currently under development in England also recognise the aspiration for smart, multi-modal ticketing. This includes the Department working with representatives from the bus industry, Transport for West Midlands and Midlands Connect to develop a national technology solution to facilitate multi-operator ticketing on buses and trams, focusing on contactless bank card payments and fares capping outside of London. In addition, the Fares, Ticketing, and Retail Programme is delivering two new Pay As You Go schemes for the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, and expanding an existing one in the South East.

What recent assessment has been made of the reliability of regional rail services serving the North East.

Rail North Partnership, through which the Department and Transport for the North jointly manage Northern Trains’ and TransPennine Express’ contracts, works closely with these operators, as the Department does with intercity operators, and Mayor McGuiness to deliver the reliable services passengers in the North East want and deserve, taking account of operational and financial constraints on operators and the network.

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of active-travel funding allocations to local authorities.

Active travel funding allocations are based on capability level as assessed through Active Travel England’s annual capability ratings process. The ratings are used to allocate funding and to provide the right support to authorities to help them develop capability to deliver high quality schemes. This process has resulted in an increase in the number of active travel schemes completed on schedule from 58% in 2023/4 to 69% in 2024/5. Since being established in 2022, Active Travel England (ATE) has provided over £560 million of funding to authorities. ATE have overseen the creation of over 400 miles of new walking and cycling routes (and hundreds of safer crossing and junctions) that the above funding has provided. There has also been a 9% improvement in the (published) assessment by Active Travel England on local councils’ ability to deliver schemes overall (from 2022/23 to 2023/24).

What steps are being taken to help reduce flight delays at regional airports.

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. UK airports and airlines are therefore responsible for ensuring appropriate contingency plans are in place to minimise potential disruption. The Department regularly engages with the UK aviation sector around resilience issues and to gain assurance of their preparedness plans, particularly ahead of peak travel periods. In the UK there is a robust legislative framework in place to protect consumers in the event of cancellation, long delays, and denied boarding. Airlines are responsible for ensuring they provide passengers with the required support, and this is enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

What steps she is taking to support local authorities with highway maintenance costs.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our roads and has pledged to support local authorities. By 2029/30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. For the first time, we have confirmed allocations for four years of funding, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. This is in addition to the Government’s investment of £1.6 billion in 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to 2024/25. Local authorities should prioritise preventative treatments, such as surface dressing and other measures, to stop potholes forming in the first place. This focus on best practice is why a portion of funding is designated as incentive funding. This incentive funding will be subject to local authorities demonstrating that they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, for example by spending all DfT’s capital grant on highways maintenance and adopting more preventative maintenance.

What the average waiting time was for a practical driving test at driving test centres in (a) Darlington, (b) Middlesbrough (c) Hartlepool,(d) Northallerton and (e) England in the latest period for which data is available.

The average waiting time in weeks, as of October 2025, for driving test centres in (a) Darlington, (b) Middlesbrough (c) Hartlepool (d) Northallerton and (e) England, can be found in the table below. LocationAverage Waiting Times Oct 25Darlington23.0 WeeksMiddlesbrough24.0 WeeksHartlepool24.0 WeeksNorthallerton22.5 WeeksEngland22.4 Weeks

What support her Department provides to local authorities to maintain bus routes with low commercial viability.

The Government is committed to delivering better buses throughout the country and wants to see an end to the decline in bus services we have seen in recent years. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England. We know these plans need to be backed with funding and we have confirmed funding of £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country of which the Tees Valley Combined Authority was allocated £7.2 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers. This could include subsidising services which are not commercially viable. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional £900m resource funding per year from 26/27 to maintain and improve bus services. Local transport authorities will find out their individual allocations from this funding in due course. In addition, the Government continues to make available around £244 million each year (in 2025-26, rising to £249 million in 2026-27) to fund the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) and BSOG Plus. The BSOG is paid to operators of eligible commercial bus services and community transport organisations to help keep fares down and run services that might otherwise be unsustainable. BSOG Plus was introduced in July 2023 to provide further support in maintaining services to eligible commercial operators.

What plans she has to improve bus (a) reliability and (b) frequency in (i) rural and (ii) semi-rural parts of the North East.

The Government is committed to delivering the better, more reliable bus services that passengers deserve throughout the country, including in rural areas. We introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. 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 includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which the Tees Valley Combined Authority was allocated £7.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional funding per year from 26/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

What discussions she has had with Tees Valley Combined Authority on transport priorities for the region.

My Department has allocated Tees Valley Combined Authority £978m through the Transport for City Regions settlements over the 5-year period from 2027-32. This is in addition to £310m allocated to Tees Valley via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). My officials maintain regular engagement with Tees Valley Combined Authority, including a visit and strategic discussion with the CA in February 2025 which took place over two days and included in-depth conversations on the region’s transport priorities. A follow-up meeting between Mayor Ben Houchen and I was planned but had to be postponed at the Mayor’s request.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Local Transport Fund on journey times in the North East.

The Local Transport Fund was an unfunded commitment made by the previous government. As the Secretary of State has said publicly, her department will not be pursuing this scheme. The North East receives local transport funding from the department, including from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and the Transport for City Region settlements (TCR). Mayors are responsible for identifying and delivering schemes that meet local priorities and align to the objectives of funding, including the benefits of these schemes.

What funding she has allocated to local authorities in the Tees Valley to support active travel schemes.

On 12 February, the Department announced almost £300 million of funding to support active travel across England, including allocations to local authorities through the Active Travel Fund 5 and Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Of this funding, the Tees Valley Combined Authority has received over £810,000 in capital funding for 24/25 and over £2.4 million in revenue funding for 24/25 and capital funding for 25/26. In addition, the Tees Valley Combined Authority has been awarded £978 million through its Transport for City Regions settlement, from 2027-28 to 2031-32. This funding can be used to support active travel schemes across the region. Active Travel England has also awarded over £240,000 to the Combined Authority’s constituent authorities to support Bikeability cycle training in 2024/25.

What steps she is taking to ensure major infrastructure projects in the North East are delivered on time and on budget.

This government is investing significantly in the North East to improve transport connectivity and grow the economy. Following the recent Spending Review, we announced funding for Nexus to develop an upgrade to the signalling system on the Tyne and Wear Metro and confirmed our continued support for the Tyne Bridge and Central Motorway scheme. These major schemes will be for local delivery, with the North East Mayor and local authorities responsible for ensuring they are delivered on time and to budget. My Department maintains close contact with local partners responsible for delivering these schemes. In addition, the North East and Tees Valley mayoral combined authorities receive funding to deliver local transport projects through various funds, including the City Region Sustainable Transport and Transport for City Regions settlements (CRSTS and TCR). The respective Mayors for these areas are responsible for ensuring delivery of these projects and report regularly into the Department on progress. Furthermore, the North East will benefit from the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme, which we recently confirmed we will be progressing. We will develop the delivery timetable as part of the process of setting the next Road Investment Strategy.

If she will estimate the number of potholes repaired in the North East since 2020.

The Government’s road condition statistics consider a broader definition of road condition than numbers of potholes, and so official data on this aspect of road condition is not available for the years requested. However, as announced in March, local highway authorities must publish transparency reports about their maintenance activities to unlock their full share of the Government’s £500m uplift for local highways maintenance this year. This includes publishing an estimate of the number of potholes they have filled in each of the last five years. Reports are available on local highway authorities’ websites and officials are in the process of reviewing these.

What assessment she has made of the level of effectiveness of e-scooter trials in reducing urban congestion.

E-scooters can offer an alternative means of transport to those who would usually drive a car, which could have a positive impact on reducing congestion. Many of the benefits of e-scooters depend on mode shift. The first national evaluation of the e-scooter trials assessed various impacts, including mode shift, however this concluded in 2021. That is why we have commissioned a second national evaluation of the e-scooter trials, due to conclude in May 2026. This evaluation will explore what journeys e-scooters are replacing; how they integrate with public transport; their safety for users and for others; and the accessibility impacts of e-scooters.

What steps she is taking to ensure that rail stations in the North East meet accessibility standards.

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of Britain’s railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.In the North East, five Access for All projects have been undertaken, four of which are now complete, with one currently under construction. Nominations for future rounds of funding will benefit from strong industry support and a proportion of third party match funding.

What steps her Department is taking to support hydrogen-powered transport solutions in the Tees Valley.

The Department for Transport (DfT) considers that hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives could play an important role in decarbonising the transport sector, particularly in heavier transport such as aviation and maritime. We are supporting research, development and deployment of hydrogen-powered transport including through the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrators (ZEHID), the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE), the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) and the Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge. The Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub Demonstration also provided dedicated funding to support the development of hydrogen refuelling stations and a range of hydrogen powered vehicles. The Government will continue to assess support for hydrogen-powered transport as evidence continues to emerge and will publish a new UK Hydrogen Strategy later this year, outlining government's vision for hydrogen. The Strategy will be grounded in evidence and set out clear priorities for collaboration with industry.

What steps she is taking to upgrade road infrastructure serving (a) freeport and (b) industrial development sites.

We are investing £4.8 billion during 2025/26 to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the Strategic Road Network, supporting journeys right across the country, enabling connectivity and economic growth. We have committed to delivering several major road schemes which will service Industrial Strategy Zones including the A63 Castle Street supporting Humber Freeport, A52 Nottingham Junctions supporting East Midlands Freeport and Investment Zone, and Lower Thames Crossing supporting the Thames Freeport. We will set out our future plans for investment in the SRN through the publication of RIS3, no later than March 2026.

What recent steps she has taken to improve road safety outside schools in high-traffic areas.

Local authorities also have a range of traffic management measures available to them to help improve safety outside schools including reducing speed limits, traffic calming, and introduction of a School Street where appropriate.  On 19 November 2024 Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published joint School Streets Guidance. The guidance is available at School Streets: how to set up and manage a scheme - GOV.UK The Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Department for Transport is developing our road safety strategy, the first in over a decade and we will set out more details in due course.