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 661–680 of 1,046 · Department for Transport
What the national average car driving test waiting time is in weeks in October 2025.
The national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in October 2025 was 21.9 weeks. There were four test centres in total where the waiting time for a practical car driving test was 24 weeks for each month from July 2023 to October 2025. Those test centres are Bletchley, Goodmayes, Pinner and Wanstead.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90406 on South Western Railway: Rolling Stock, what the the total cost is of the renewed rolling stock leasing contract; how long that contract is for; and if she will make a comparative assessment of the (a) cost and (b) annualised cost of (i) the current contract and (ii) previous leasing arrangements.
As part of the transfer to public ownership of South Western Railway’s operations, the Department undertook modelling to assess whether the costs associated with new rolling stock leases were objective and reasonable. Details of the new leases, including their value and duration, have been published on the Government’s Find a Tender website. The ORR also publish consolidated details of rolling stock costs for each train operator as part of their annual statistical releases.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 89630 on London North Eastern Railway: Fares, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the LNER demand-based pricing trial on ticket prices for LNER passengers from (a) London, (b) Newcastle and (c) Edinburgh.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) have made their customer offer easier to understand by removing tickets with complicated validity rules and introducing a more straightforward Semi-Flexible ticket. Some passengers will benefit from getting flexible options at lower prices than before, and the most popular and the cheapest type of ticket, the Advance, remains available.As of July 2025, LNER reported that for travel between 1 August and 12 December 2025 there were:• 1.1 million new Semi-Flexible tickets priced at less than the Super Off-Peak fare.• 1.8 million Standard Advance fares available and priced lower than the Super Off-Peak fare on trains where that fare was previously valid.The results of this trial – including prices and revenue, will be carefully considered before taking any further decisions.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 88361 on Railways: Reform, whether either the estimated £200–£400 million set-up and transitional cost range cited in the Impact Assessment or the projected £150 million annual saving from bringing forward state control of rail has been independently validated.
These are internal estimates. The assessments of set-up and transitional costs are based on engagement with industry partners, including Network Rail and DfT Operator Limited. The estimate that public ownership could save taxpayers up to £110 to £150 million annually, once all currently contracted services have transferred, is based on the fixed and performance-based fees currently paid to private sector train operating companies as set out in their National Rail Contracts.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 89627 on the Electric Car Grant, whether the eligibility criteria for that scheme could be amended to allow access to manufacturers that do not hold a verified Science Based Target from the Science Based Targets Initiative.
All vehicle grants are regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to achieve their objectives and deliver value for taxpayer's money. This includes the eligibility criteria for the Electric Car Grant.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90060 on Railway Network: Environment Protection, whether she plans to make changes to the size of the rail network under Great British Railways.
This government will continue to deliver high impact projects and enhancements to the railway that improve connectivity and capacity for passengers and freight to support unlocking economic growth. Schemes such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade, East West Rail and Midlands Rail Hub, which are expected to deliver after Great British Railways (GBR) has been established, will expand the capacity of the network and allow more services to be run. The government expects to work with GBR to continue to consider the appropriate size of rail network and deliver plans to support that.
Pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2025 to Question 88882 on Great British Railways, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of establishing and operating the regulatory oversight functions set out in the Railways Bill, including the Office of Rail and Road’s new statutory consultee role and its expanded appeals and enforcement powers over GBR’s access, contracting and pricing decisions.
The Railways Bill gives ORR a statutory power to levy a fee, providing stable and predictable funding to support its independence and effective operation. ORR's own analysis has been reflected in the SR settlement for 2026–27 to 2028–29. Final funding levels will depend on how ORR implements its new role and will remain subject to Spending Review outcomes.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88363 on Freight: Fuels Excise Duties, whether her Department holds data on the relative changes in operating costs for (a) rail freight and (b) road freight since fuel duty was first frozen for HGVs in 2011; and whether it has assessed the impact of that freeze on the competitiveness of rail freight.
The Government is committed to supporting rail freight, recognising its economic and environmental benefits and the role it plays in the resilience of the UK’s supply chain. However, both road and rail freight are privately owned and operated, with a wide range of costs and other criteria which could affect competitiveness. The fuel duty decisions referenced – which were taken primarily under the last Government – are only one part of this. The Department does not hold data on relative changes to operating costs between road and rail freight. As part of continued support for the rail freight sector, the Department has operated the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme since 2010. Network Rail also offers the Access Charges Discount Policy to stimulate growth, supporting new to rail traffic.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 90058 on Railways: Safety, how the ORR’s railway safety enforcement regime will change following the establishment of Great British Railways.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent railway safety regulator for the UK. Its enforcement powers derive from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and range from giving advice and information through to prosecution in the courts. The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) does not change the legislation that underpins ORRs enforcement powers and therefore its regime will not change following the establishment of GBR.
How many driving tests a full-time driving examiner can conduct per year, allowing for annual leave.
A full-time driving examiner can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 89632 on Great British Railways: Finance, if she will publish the assumptions on passenger ridership growth that underpin the Department’s estimate of a £1.2 billion reduction in rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period.
The Department’s Spending Review settlement and additional commentary were set out on gov.uk. As is usual, the Department does not publish further detail. The reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy over the Spending Review period will be enabled through delivery of the public ownership programme, a relentless focus on improving operational performance and improvements for customers, and by driving passenger revenue growth.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78720 on South West Railway: Nationalisation, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of public ownership of the railways on levels of Government (a) spending, (b) borrowing and (c) debt.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government implemented emergency contractual arrangements which involved taking on all revenue and the vast majority of cost risk from the train operating companies. Therefore, public ownership of these rail services is not expected to change the Government’s financial exposure other than savings in the fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies of an estimated £110 million to £150 million every year once all currently contracted services have transferred.
If she will publish (a) copies of all Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports relating to (i) all lane running, (ii) dynamic hard shoulder and (iii) controlled motorway schemes on the Strategic Road Network that have been completed but not yet published and (b) a schedule for every such POPE report completed since 2015, setting out for each report (A) the scheme covered, (B) the date the report was completed, (C) the date it was submitted for assurance, (D) the date that assurance was signed off and (E) the date it was published or, where it has not been published, the reasons for non-publication and the expected publication date.
Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports are complex and detailed and it is right that we take the time to fully assure them before publication. We will provide an update on plans for the publication of further smart motorway POPEs in due course. National Highways has already published 19 smart motorway POPE reports and these can be found online at:https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/post-opening-project-evaluation-pope-of-major-schemes/.
Whether she plans to provide mechanisms for (a) local authorities and (b) Transport for London to challenge service decisions made by Great British Railways that affect their areas.
GBR will be required to consult Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) where decisions on passenger services or rail infrastructure could have a significant impact on their areas. GBR will also have regard to Local Transport Plans and the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy to ensure local priorities are considered. Alongside this, GBR will agree partnerships with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, bringing local influence into railway planning. This collaborative approach is designed to maintain regular communication and a shared understanding of trade-offs. In addition, the Bill also establishes the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) as a robust and independent appeals body, providing a clear route for appeal of GBR’s access and charging decisions.
What estimate she has made of the total cost to the public purse of rebranding Network Rail as Great British Railways, including expenditure and losses relating to new branding, logo replacement, signage, vehicle and train livery changes, digital and printed materials, staff uniforms, estate updates and any associated transition and implementation costs.
Great British Railways i(GBR) s not a rebranding of Network Rail. GBR will bring together track and train as a directing mind, consolidating several different rail bodies to deliver better outcomes for passengers, freight users, and taxpayers. The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they were due to be repainted by their leasing companies, and changing station signage when it is life expired.
What assessment she has made of the causes of driving test waiting times, including the impact of block-booking and examiner shortages; and what steps she plans to take to improve Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency performance, strengthen oversight of its complaints processes, and implement a recovery plan for the driving test system.
Waiting times are still high for learner drivers. Car practical test waiting times remain high due to sustained increased demand and reduced learner driver confidence in the availability of driving tests. This has contributed to some learners choosing to book their test much earlier in their learning journey before having had any lessons.On the 12 November, the Secretary of State for Transport, updated the Transport Select Committee on the government’s ongoing response to high driving test waiting times.In the coming months, DVSA will:Change the booking service to allow only learner car drivers to book and manage their testsIntroduce a limit on the number of times a learner car driver can move or swap a test to twice and also limit the area they can move a test to once booked.Make use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) driving examiners for up to 12 months to help tackle driving test waiting times.Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 344 driving examiners who are now in post and delivering driving tests. However, 118 prospective driving examiners failed or resigned during training. Currently, there are 71 people in training, 63 booked onto a future course and 79 applicants who have received offers from DVSADespite DVSA’s recruitment efforts, the number of full-time equivalent driving examiners has only increased gradually since July 2024 (1,439) with net increase of 46 full-time equivalent driving examiners in October 2025 (1,485).DVSA has a robust complaints process in place. Complainants can ask DVSA to pass their complaint to an independent complaints assessor if they have been through the final stage of the Agency’s complaints process and are not happy its response.
Pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2025, to Question 77640, on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, if he will publish the data sharing contract.
Such data sharing contracts are not routinely published and there are no plans to do so.
How the criteria for the Electric Car Grant was determined; and what engagement with industry was held on this issue.
The Electric Car Grant criteria were designed to support British drivers in accessing affordable, sustainably manufactured electric vehicles. Over 35,000 drivers have benefited from this scheme to date. The grant's design was not discussed with industry during its development to avoid market distortion.Following launch, the Department has engaged closely with vehicle manufacturers and will continue to do so as the grant develops. All grants are regularly reviewed to ensure value for taxpayer's money.
Whether she plans to reform the regulation of driving instructor training, including the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT), to introduce minimum entry standards and protect trainees from misleading training packages and unfair franchise contracts.
This year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) established the Car Driver Training and Testing Forum, which brings together trade and industry partners to work collaboratively on improving the driver instructor training and testing profession. The forum has created several improvement workstreams, one of which is exploring options for the future of the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT) scheme. DVSA does not regulate driving schools or franchise agreements; these remain private contractual matters between individuals and providers. However, DVSA provides guidance on this on GOV.uk at Driving instructor associations and organisations - GOV.UK, including the Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) register guide Approved driving instructor (ADI) register guide - GOV.UK. All potential ADIs sign a declaration confirming they have read and understood this guidance. While DVSA does not directly regulate franchise arrangements, the Agency encourages ADIs to join recognised ADI associations and organisations. These bodies are experienced in supporting instructors to make informed decisions about training and franchise agreements and ensure their interests are represented in industry discussions.
Whether she plans to publish a statement of financial relationship between Great British Railways and the Department for Transport, including arrangements with devolved administrations.
Relevant GBR financial information will be published in due course as officials continue to work with industry partners to ensure that the sector’s financial model is best placed to deliver change.