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 541–560 of 1,046 · Department for Transport
For each month since July 2024, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car test; and if she will publish a list of those test centres for each month since.
The attached Excel document (Table for UIN 101472) shows which driving test centres had a waiting time of 24 weeks in each month from July 2024 to November 2025.
What steps she has taken to help reduce the risk of a rolling stock shortage in 2025.
There are regular conversations with train operators who are responsible for operating and delivering the passenger timetable and ensuring they have enough rolling stock to meet their requirements. In 2026 there will be introduction of new modern fleets on South Western Railway and East Midlands Railway which have more passenger carrying capacity than the existing fleets.
Whether it is the policy of DVLA to provide registered keeper data to enforcement authorities under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, or their commercial intermediaries, who wish to introduce traffic filters.
Regulation 27(1)(a)(iii) of the Vehicle Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide registered keeper information to local authorities in England and Wales for any purpose connected with its activities as an enforcement authority within the meaning of Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 86751 on the Restoring Your Railway Fund, whether any expenditure incurred on feasibility, development or preparatory work for Restoring Your Railway schemes that did not proceed following the programme’s cancellation has been subject to impairment or write-down in the Department’s accounts.
In line with our previous answers, there has been no write-down or impairment in the Department’s accounts from the decision to cancel the Restoring Your Railway programme.
How many used electric vehicles were sold in (a) November 2025 and (b) each month since July 2024.
The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 96704 on Great British Railways, if she will publish any internal implementation plans, programme plans, timelines, milestone documents or transition frameworks for the establishment of Great British Railways.
As set out in previous answers, the Great British Railways (GBR) design process is underway. We expect to stand up GBR within 12 months of the Railways Bill receiving Royal Assent. We are developing our implementation plans as part of the GBR design process now and will share those in due course.
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 93777 on London Underground: Strikes, what discussions Ministers and officials in her Department have had with other transport operators regarding continuing industrial action since 4 July 2024, and which operators were involved in those discussions.
Under the Conservative Government, we saw national rail disputes that caused two years of widespread strikes and disruption to millions of passengers. On coming into office, this Government acted quickly to reset industrial relations and resolve the national disputes. Since 4 July 2024, there has been limited, local industrial action, involving four of the fourteen Department for Transport (DfT) contracted Train Operating Companies (TOCs); Avanti West Coast, Cross Country, Southeastern and Transpennine Trains. Also, while no industrial action has been taken since July 2024, the RMT has been in dispute with Northern Trains since 2017 regarding who opens and closes the train doors. Northern are in detailed discussions with the RMT to try and resolve this long running dispute. DfT officials routinely and regularly have discussions with TOCs on operational and other matters. In the case of the TOCs affected by industrial action, discussions include operators’ plans to resolve disputes and where relevant, their preparedness for industrial action. Dispute resolution is a matter for train operators, as the employers, to resolve with trade unions.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2025 to Question 94913 on Great British Railways, whether (a) growing revenue or (b) delivering value for money for passengers takes priority in the rollout of Great British Railways branding.
Both growing revenue and delivering value for money for passengers will be a priority.
What the net zero targets are for (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s-length bodies; and whether guidance has been issued on adopting net zero targets earlier than 2050.
The Department for Transport (DfT), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Trinity House, Transport Focus, the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, the Civil Aviation Authority, and Active Travel England (ATE) are committed to achieving the UK Government’s Net Zero Carbon target by 2050. The Department for Transport also holds policy responsibility for ensuring greenhouse gas emissions from in-use transport and transport infrastructure construction reduce in line with the legislated economy-wide target of net zero by 2050. The position in terms of other Department for Transport bodies is set out below. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) supports the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This includes reducing fuel lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, 80 per cent by 2040, and achieving zero emissions by 2050.National Highways has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon for its own operations by 2030 and achieving Net Zero emissions for its maintenance and construction by 2040. National Highways is also supporting the transition to Net Zero for travel on our roads by 2050.Network Rail have committed to the railway in Scotland being net zero by 2045 and the railways across the rest of Britain being Net Zero by 2050. The British Transport Police have committed to being, operationally, Net Zero by 2035. East West Rail has committed to creating a Net Zero passenger railway by 2050. HS2 Limited has committed to its corporate activities being Net Zero by 2025. It has also committed to its trains, stations, depots and rail infrastructure using zero carbon energy, reducing emissions to Net Zero by 2035. HS2 has also committed to undertaking carbon offsetting using natural or technological methods to reduce any emissions, that cannot be eliminated, to zero. The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) has committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050. Operating the NLB vessels accounts for around 80% of its emissions and in 2025 NLB took delivery of a new hybrid vessel which will meet the ambitious targets set out in the UK Government Clean Maritime Plan. All other arm’s-length bodies will be expected to adopt the existing 2050 target or develop their own based on their operational impacts.
Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 96256 on Railways: Tickets, how the proportion of rail journeys using fully digital tickets varies between train operating companies in November 2025 and in each month since and including July 2024.
The Department does not hold this information at this level. The Rail Delivery Group and individual train operating companies hold the data.
What the national average waiting time in weeks was for a practical car driving test in (a) November 2025 and (b) October 2025.
The national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in November 2025 was 22 weeks. For the national average waiting time in October 2025, I refer the hon Member to the answers I gave on 28 November and 8 December, to Questions 93246 and 96689.
What assessment she has made of the future role of the Railway Benevolent Fund under Great British Railways, and what steps she is taking to ensure the Fund can continue its support for current and former rail workers once GBR is operational.
The Railway Benevolent Institution, known as the Rail Benevolent Fund (RBF), is an independent non-membership charity, supported by charitable fundraising and donations, and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The future role of the RBF, including when Great British Railways is established, is a matter for the charity.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92061 on Great British Railways, whether her Department has now produced (a) costed rollout plans for the Great British Railways logo and (b) estimated expenditure for the re-livery of trains; and if she will publish the estimated total cost ranges and any associated value-for-money assessments relating to the wider implementation of the Great British Railways brand.
The Secretary of State has asked the incoming CEO of DfT Operator to lead the rollout of the Great British Railways (GBR) branding. Ministers expect the brand rollout to maximise opportunities to grow revenue as well as to ensure value for money in its application. This includes primarily repainting trains when they were due to be repainted by their leasing companies, and changing station signage when it is life expired. With this in mind, Ministers do not expect significant sums to be spent on the repainting of trains as part of the rollout of branding.
What discussions her Department has had with the British Standards Institute on its review of BS AU 145e; and whether she plans to ban raised 3D and 4D number plates.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is part of the British Standard Institution committee that has recently reviewed the current standard for number plates. The committee has put forward proposed amendments which are intended to stop the production of number plates with raised characters often referred to as 3D or 4D number plates and will prevent easy access to plates with ‘ghost’ characteristics. The proposals will also prevent suppliers from adding acrylic letters and numbers to the surface of the number, meaning any finished number plate must be flat. The proposed changes have been subject to a public consultation which closed on 13 December 2025.
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82988 on Bicycles: Infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of floating bus stops on independent access to bus services for blind and partially sighted people.
The Department recognises the concerns raised about floating bus stops, particularly by vision-impaired people, and we are taking steps to address them. Section 31 of the Bus Services Act 2025 requires the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance for local authorities in England on the provision and design of floating bus stops, within three months of Royal Assent. This must be consulted on with the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee and other relevant organisations before publication. Local authorities will be required to have regard to this guidance. In addition, local authorities have been asked to pause implementation of certain designs of floating bus stop. I wrote to all local traffic authorities on 20 November setting out the terms of this pause. This applies to floating bus stop schemes which are at the design stage, and which include designs which require people to board or alight directly from or into a cycle track.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the(a) current DVLA registration process for number plate suppliers, (b) background checks on number plate supplier applicants, (c) measures in place to prevent the acquisition of materials to print non-compliant plates and (d) number of DVLA enforcement officers.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of illegal plates. The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. It is an offence to sell a number plate without carrying out these required checks and can lead to a fine and removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS). Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police. Officials are also in discussions with the British Number Plate Manufacturers’ Association about the issue of non-compliant materials. The DVLA’s enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to carry out educational and compliance visits to registered suppliers. Enforcement officers attend the premises of registered number plate suppliers to check working practices and inspect number plates on the premises. Enforcement officers can inspect records held, take copies and/or seize the records. In addition, DVLA officers carry out intelligence led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, actively working with our partners to investigate.
What discussions she has had with police forces on illegal plates or cloned license plates and serious organised crime; and what steps she is taking with police forces to help tackle the use of illegal or cloned license plates.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and others to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of illegal plates. The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. It is an offence to sell a number plate without carrying out these required checks and can lead to a fine and removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS). Officials are considering options to ensure more robust application and audit processes which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement of number plate offences is a matter for the police. Officials are also in discussions with the British Number Plate Manufacturers’ Association about the issue of non-compliant materials. The DVLA’s enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards to carry out educational and compliance visits to registered suppliers. Enforcement officers attend the premises of registered number plate suppliers to check working practices and inspect number plates on the premises. Enforcement officers can inspect records held, take copies and/or seize the records. In addition, DVLA officers carry out intelligence led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, actively working with our partners to investigate.
With reference to the Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, HC 1492, from which financial year she plans to meet her target to fix an additional one million potholes each year.
This Government takes the condition of our country’s local highway network extremely seriously. This is why the Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion investment into local highways maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This new, four-year funding settlement is in addition to the Government's investment of £1.6 billion this year, a £500 million increase compared to last year. These funding increases enable local authorities to fill an additional one million potholes in each year of this Parliament.In addition to increasing the available funding, the Department has confirmed funding allocations for the next four years, providing greater funding certainty to local authorities. This enables them to better plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and to instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance so that roads can be fixed properly and kept in good condition for longer so that fewer potholes form in the first place.
What plans she has to amend the penalty regime to (a) make non-compliant number plates offences endorsable with up to six penalty points and (b) increase the fixed penalty fine for such offences from £100 to £1,000.
This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We are considering a range of policies under the new Road Safety Strategy; the first for ten years. This includes the case for changing the motoring offences.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 95727 on Driving Instruction: Staff, how many civilian driving tests the 36 defence driving examiners are expected to conduct over the 12-month support period.
The announcement on this measure by the Secretary of State for Transport on 12 November, provided further details regarding the number of tests. Information on this and other measures announced is available on GOV.UK.