Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Holden this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 481–500 of 1,046 · Department for Transport
On what evidential basis her Department has concluded that the majority of passengers benefit from the long-distance simplified ticketing trials.
The Department has commissioned independent evaluation on the trial, this research has not yet concluded. The current evidence is provided by LNER and is available at https://assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/6k2Evw4OmGsvywKgBg9U9j/e63a4ca09d2c4e01fada29f731d90f7b/Simpler_Fares_LNER_Website_Copy_Enhanced_Sept_2025.pdf .
Whether the powers conferred by the Harbours Act 1964, as amended by the Transport and Works Act 1992, allow Ministers to amend the text of primary legislation by Harbour Revision Order.
Harbour Revision Orders (HROs) are normally initiated by a harbour authority, but the Secretary of State can seek to impose a HRO under the Harbours Act 1964. The department is consulted on all HRO applications, but the Secretary of State does not have the power to directly amend orders that have been applied for by a harbour authority.
Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 96696 on Roads: Biodiversity, what estimate she has made of the average cost for each Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project of (a) voluntarily delivering biodiversity net gain (BNG) prior to May 2026, (b) delivering BNG on a compulsory basis during the third Road Period and (c) delivering BNG overall for schemes (i) currently under construction or (ii) in the delivery pipeline.
The department does not estimate the average cost of voluntary biodiversity net gain for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects on the Strategic Road Network. Biodiversity net gain provisions are determined on a project by project basis and assessed as part of the consenting process where relevant. The Roads Period 3 pipeline has not yet been finalised, and currently no schemes fall within the scope of mandatory biodiversity net gain requirements; therefore, no overall estimate has been made.
How many full-time equivalent driving examiners employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in December 2025.
As of 30 December 2025, there were 1,618 full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) in post. Of those, 1,542 FTE were available to deliver practical car driving tests.A DE is a paid Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency employee from the point at which they start their training and therefore considered to be in post.
What the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in December 2025.
The national average waiting time for a practical car driving test in December 2025 was 21.9 weeks.
Which driving test centres were at 24 weeks wait times in December 2025.
The attached Excel document shows which driving test centres had a waiting time of 24 weeks in December 2025 for a practical car driving test.
What progress her Department has made in identifying a National Freight Network.
The 2022 Future of Freight plan committed to developing a fuller understanding of our domestic freight network from a multimodal perspective, before considering how it could be consolidated into a National Freight Network. The Department is making good progress towards the goal of improving understanding of the freight and logistics system as an integrated multimodal network. This progress includes identifying, developing, and delivering a package of measures to enhance key data and insights capabilities. Further detail on these measures and the overarching approach we are taking forward will be provided in the upcoming publication of the new plan for freight.
What assessment her Department has made of changes in LNER ticket prices since the introduction of simpler fares for long-distance travel.
The Department has commissioned independent evaluation on the trial, this research has not yet concluded. The current evidence is provided by LNER and is available at https://assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/6k2Evw4OmGsvywKgBg9U9j/e63a4ca09d2c4e01fada29f731d90f7b/Simpler_Fares_LNER_Website_Copy_Enhanced_Sept_2025.pdf .
Whether the Department expects to reach a decision on Transport for London’s proposal for Great Northern inner services before any change to the current operating model takes effect.
The Department is working with TfL to assess the benefits of the proposal, including housing growth opportunities such as the potential development of 21,000 homes at Crews Hill.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the information her Department holds on (a) key transport routes (b) main transport bottlenecks for freight movements across transport modes and (c) freight data; and what assessment she has made of whether her Department's analytical capabilities support the improvement of that information.
The Department holds a broad range of information on the freight and logistics system that provides an effective evidence-base for our work. This includes information that helps understand key transport routes, like our published road traffic and maritime statistics, and information to help understand network bottlenecks, such as our congestion statistics and stakeholder intelligence. The Department recognises the importance of continually improving its analytical capabilities, as evidenced in the important recent update to the road freight values of time in our Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG). Further actions to improve our freight data provision and analytical capability are ongoing and will be announced in the upcoming Transport Data Action Plan and new plan for freight.
How many bus passenger journeys were taken in (a) London and (b) England outside London in each month from January 2023 for which data is available.
The Department does not hold information on bus passenger journeys operated by calendar month in London or England outside London.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99840, whether she will publish the full cost-benefit analysis underpinning the Government’s assessment of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, including all assumptions, modelling inputs, sensitivity analyses, and any internal estimates of the proportion of costs falling to the public purse.
A full, final cost-benefit analysis was published alongside the VETS order 2023 on Gov.UK.A projection of the overall costs falling to government from the policy were not estimated as part of this assessment.
Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 97184, what estimate the Department has made of the annual cost of extending the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to provide concessionary passes for companions of disabled people.
The Department for Transport does not hold a current assessment of the cost of expanding the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) to include companion passes as part of the statutory provision. In the year ending March 2025, the ENCTS cost around £795 million.Any decision to expand the statutory offering would involve rigorous cost analysis of a range of options.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, on what dates each HS2 environmental assessment published since 4 July 2024 was published, and to provide a link to each document, in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance on transparency.
HS2 Environmental Assessments published since 4 July 2024 are available on www.gov.uk alongside their corresponding publication dates here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-environmental-sustainability-progress-report- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sei-reports-for-new-significant-environmental-effects-on-the-hs2-phase-one-route- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2025- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2024
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99978, when she expects the Government to publish its response to the public consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e.
The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation. The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99930, what the current maximum fine is for the use of incorrect or non-compliant vehicle number plates; and whether she has made any assessment of the deterrent effect of that penalty, including whether she will consider increasing it.
The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation. The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 96341, what consideration her Department has given to funding Public Service Obligation air routes between UK airports which do not involve the service starting or ending in London.
In December 2023, the Department for Transport published updated Public Service Obligation (PSO) guidance extending support to region-to-region PSOs which removes the historical requirement for eligible PSO routes to operate into London.Region-to-region PSOs can be used on existing routes if a route is at risk of being lost and the route meets the criteria for PSO support. These would need to be funded by the relevant local authorities.
When she was first informed of the decision by John Larkinson, Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road, to step down from his role.
The Secretary of State received a letter from the Chair of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on 8 December 2025 informing her of John Larkinson’s decision to retire from the role of Chief Executive of the ORR with effect from the end of April 2026.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, what the cost was of each of the following HS2 environmental assessments published since 4 July 2024: a) the Environmental Sustainability Progress Report, b) Supplementary Environmental Information reports, c) Noise and Vibration reports, and d) Air Quality reports.
HS2 Ltd and its supply chain undertake routine environmental assessments throughout design and construction to confirm compliance with the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act, the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements, and other commitments and obligations, including those set out in existing UK environmental legislation. Environmental assessments are a constituent part of the design and construction process, and may relate to individual assets, sectors or the whole route and can relate to a variety of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, dust or biodiversity. In view of this, neither the Department for Transport, nor HS2 Ltd, collect information related to the cost of each individual environmental assessment undertaken on the route. Such assessments inform the content of the reports referenced in the question, and it is therefore not possible to disaggregate the cost of each individual report.
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99925, what assumptions were used to estimate that the funding increases described will enable local authorities to fill an additional one million potholes per year, including assumptions on (a) the average cost of a pothole repair, (b) the proportion of funding allocated to reactive pothole repairs rather than other maintenance activity, and (c) regional variation in repair costs.
The estimate is based on the industry assumption that the national average cost of repairing a pothole is approximately £70. Using this figure, the £7.3 billion of funding from 2026/27 - 2029/30 would enable local authorities to fix millions of additional potholes each year when compared to previous funding levels. Alongside funding to support local authorities in repairing potholes, the Government has also taken action to prevent them from forming in the first place. A share of the increased investment that the Government made available in this financial year and in future years is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating how they are complying with best practice in highways maintenance, including the greater adoption of preventative maintenance. These requirements are intended to incentivise local authorities to adopt more preventative maintenance and other best practice to ensure roads are kept in good condition for longer, fewer potholes form in the first place and that this funding is spent as effectively as possible in improving the condition of local roads.