Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121319 on Bus Services: Franchises, if she will provide a breakdown of the additional funding from 2026/27 by (a) funding stream, (b) annual allocation for each year of the Spending Review period and (c) by revenue and capital funding.

The Government is providing two funding streams to support authorities who wish to franchise their bus services. The first is a £3 million Bus Franchising Support Fund in 2026/27 for Mayoral Strategic Authorities that have commenced the statutory franchising process, to support their transition to franchised bus services. The second is a fund of approximately £10 million per year until 2029 for a franchising support package for local authorities that are actively seeking to transition to a franchised network. Both funds provide revenue funding only. South Yorkshire Combined Authority, North East Combined Authority, Transport for West Midlands, Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have each been allocated £500,000 of the £3 million fund. The Department is currently in the process of assessing expression of interest application forms from local authorities for the £10 million Franchise Support Fund.

What information his Department holds on the number of people who were employed in the automotive manufacturing sector in each month since September 2025 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt. Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th April is attached.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 908536 on Road Works: Compensation, if her Department plans to approve further lane rental schemes in 2026.

Legislation is being laid shortly to bring seven new lane rental schemes into force. We are also devolving approval powers to mayoral authorities, with further applications continuing to be assessed.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 105309 on Animal Welfare, when her Department plans to launch the consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations.

The Government has committed to launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations, as set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy published on 22 December 2025. This will be delivered in due course and will seek views from all those with an interest.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 123167 on British Transport Police: Finance, whether the cost of the British Transport Police has been included in the Government’s cost estimates for rail nationalisation; and what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost of funding the British Transport Police under a fully nationalised rail system.

The British Transport Police’s budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority, who are the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. They have already agreed a budget settlement with the Force up to 2028/29, increasing by 15% from £418.5m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29. We anticipate that the level of funding following this will similarly balance the needs of the industry and the force against public sector affordability.

What assessment she has made of the future role of the Railway Benefit Fund under Great British Railways.

The Railway Benefit Fund (RBF), which is the working name of the ‘Railway Benevolent Institution’, is an independent non-membership charity, supported by charitable fundraising and donations, and regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. We recognise the value of the RBF and the important work that it does. The future role of the RBF, whether now or when Great British Railways (GBR) is established, is a matter for the charity. However, we do not anticipate the establishment of GBR to have any adverse effect on the RBF.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, if she will set out (a) what the purpose was of each such visit, (b) which Ministers or senior officials approved each visit, (c) how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade and (d) what the total cost was of each visit; and what assessment she has made of whether those engagements could have been conducted remotely or combined with other travel.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation

How many full-time equivalent driving examiners recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in each month since February 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026. MonthNumber of DTCs with a wait time of 24 weeksJanuary 2026157February 2026186March 2026192 The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026. FTE DEs in post *Available to deliver practical car driving tests1649.131,604* Includes those who are in training to be a DE The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below. MonthNational average car driving tests waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available)National median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken)January 202621.2 weeks10.3 weeksFebruary 202621.6 weeks10.6 weeksMarch 202622.1 weeks9.0 weeks The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave. April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.

What the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in each month since January 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026. MonthNumber of DTCs with a wait time of 24 weeksJanuary 2026157February 2026186March 2026192 The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026. FTE DEs in post *Available to deliver practical car driving tests1649.131,604* Includes those who are in training to be a DE The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below. MonthNational average car driving tests waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available)National median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken)January 202621.2 weeks10.3 weeksFebruary 202621.6 weeks10.6 weeksMarch 202622.1 weeks9.0 weeks The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave. April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.

How many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car test for each month since January 2026.

The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) recorded a waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test for January, February, and March 2026. MonthNumber of DTCs with a wait time of 24 weeksJanuary 2026157February 2026186March 2026192 The table below shows how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) were in post, and out of those, how many were available to deliver practical car driving tests in March 2026. The answer to Question 122532, 20 March 2026, provides data for February 2026. FTE DEs in post *Available to deliver practical car driving tests1649.131,604* Includes those who are in training to be a DE The national average waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for a practical car driving test in January, February and March 2026 is shown in the table below. MonthNational average car driving tests waiting time (when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available)National median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken)January 202621.2 weeks10.3 weeksFebruary 202621.6 weeks10.6 weeksMarch 202622.1 weeks9.0 weeks The recent small increase in the national average waiting time was expected, and reflects test bookings running through the summer period, the busiest of the year, and a period of increased annual leave. April’s data for all of the above will be available in May.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122592 on Electric Vehicles: Hire Services, whether her Department plans to break down the data by owned fleet and hired vehicles.

Data for the Greening Government Commitments framework for 2021-25, including the Government Fleet Commitment (GFC), was collected by Defra and published on GOV.UK. Reporting for the GFC was required for both owned fleet and hired vehicles as set out in the published reporting requirements. For the status of the next set of Greening Government Commitments I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 February 2026 to the hon. Member for Bristol Central, PQ UIN 114247.

When he plans to respond to Question 107772 from the Rt hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April 2026 to Question 107772.

When she plans to respond to Question 120248 from the hon. Member for Windsor.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

When she plans to respond to Question 120198 from the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr.

The responses to these Written Parliamentary Questions have been issued.

When she plans to respond to Question 120952 from the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East.

The responses to these Written Parliamentary Questions have been issued.

When she plans to respond to Question 122254 from the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East.

The response to this Written Parliamentary Question has been issued.

When she plans to respond to Question 120171 from the hon. Member for Yeovil.

The responses to these Written Parliamentary Questions have been issued.

When she plans to respond to Question 122251 from the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East.

The responses to these Written Parliamentary Questions have been issued.

When she plans to respond to Question 121893 from the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth.

The responses to these Written Parliamentary Questions have been issued.

When she plans to respond to Question 122925 from the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion.

The responses to these Written Parliamentary Questions have been issued.