Written questions by Holden.

How many driving examiners ceased to practice in each month from July 2024 to the latest month for which figures are available.

The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) who left the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in each month from July 2024 to February 2026. This data includes all DEs who have left including, for example, new DEs that were unsuccessful in completing the training process.Month/YearFTEJuly 202413.6August 202417.4September 20248.3October 202424.4November 202416.1December 202414.8January 202519.1February 202525.2March 202527.0April 202520.7May 202517.7June 202514.3July 202517.2August 202516.3September 202522.9October 20258.6November 202514.8December 202515.2January 202626.7February 202612.6 The above figures of course do not account for the number of driving examiners who have joined in the same time period. Examiner capacity is rising, with 1,556 FTE examiners now in post supported by ongoing recruitment and training changes. The 1,556 FTE DEs in February 2026 is an increase of 108 when compared to the number of DEs in February 2025 (1,448 FTEs). These figures do not include potential new DEs who are currently in training.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2026 to Question 118861 on Approved Driving Instructors: Standards, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency plans to introduce arrangements to (i) recognise and (ii) quality assure driving instructors who train approved driving instructors.

Anyone wishing to become an ADI must pass the statutory ADI tests. More information on the steps to becoming an ADI can be found on GOV.UK. To maintain and monitor standards of instruction, each ADI can be called by the ADI Registrar for a standards check. This covers all ADIs including those who might be training potential new instructors. While ADIs do not need an extra qualification if they also want to train driving instructors, they previously had the opportunity to join the voluntary official register of driving instructor training (ORDIT). In 2023, the previous government made the decision to suspend the ORDIT scheme. The DVSA is now engaging with the training industry to discuss how and when the scheme should resume.

For what policy reason an Equality Impact Assessment was not undertaken in relation to the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Provision and Design.

As set out in the guidance for public authorities on the Public Sector Equality Duty, the general duty involves consciously thinking about the equality aims while making decisions. There is no prescribed process for doing or recording this. Due regard for the Public Sector Equality Duty was exercised throughout the development of the guidance including during the policy design, consultation, and drafting stages. As I set out in my response to question no. 121404, ahead of publishing the guidance I had due regard to impacts on people with protected characteristics, particularly disabled people, in making decisions regarding the guidance. This was supported by engagement with organisations representing disabled people and input from the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, the statutory advisory body on disability transport issues, and a statutory consultee for this guidance under the Bus Services Act 2025. This shows a proportionate, evidence based consideration for the Duty. Delivery of floating bus stops, and use of the guidance in doing so, is a local authority responsibility. The guidance clearly states that accessibility requirements and the Public Sector Equality Duty apply to all measures within the document. Local authorities are therefore best placed to carry out such an assessment on the provision and design of floating bus stops in their area. The guidance is statutory, and local authorities must have regard to it.

What the average cost per kWh is for ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging; and how this has changed since 2021.

This information is available from external industry sources such as Zapmap, who estimate that the current average cost of rapid/ultra rapid public charging is around 76p/kWh, as of February 2026. This price level has remained broadly constant over the past year. Average public charging price data is produced and published by Zapmap here: https://www.zapmap.com/ev-stats/charging-price-index.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the UK Logistics Network report published by Logistics UK in 2024.

The Department for Transport is aware of Logistics UK's The UK Logistics Network report (2024) and its subsequent progress tracker report (2025). The department is grateful for Logistics UK’s work and the informative contribution it makes to our evidence base for policy making that supports freight and logistics and the wider transport system. The report and its recommendations formed part of the evidence base considered for the new plan for freight, which is due to be published later in spring. This will set out the department’s policy priorities for the sector and the actions we will take to support the efficiency of the freight network.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 115449, in which month in Q3 2026 her Department will set out next steps.

As noted in my previous answer, a number of parking sector stakeholders conducted research into the issue of penalty charging levels, the findings of which we previously deposited in the House of Commons Library at the following link: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2287543/files. Officials are reviewing the research and its findings, and that will then inform decisions about next steps. It is not possible at this stage to give a precise date for this work.

A) what assessment her Department has made of the £2.50 fee charged by the DVLA for the release of vehicle keeper data to private parking companies, b) what analysis has been conducted on the volume of keeper data requests made annually by private parking companies, and c) whether her Department has had discussions with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding oversight of the use of DVLA vehicle keeper data by private parking enforcement firms.

Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details from its vehicle record where the requester can demonstrate reasonable cause to receive it. The fee payable by private sector organisations, including private parking companies, seeking the contact details of the registered keeper of a vehicle is £2.50. The fee is set to recover the cost of providing the information and ensures that the cost is borne by the requester, not passed on to the taxpayer. In line with Managing Public Money, the DVLA reviews its fees regularly to ensure that they are set to recover the costs of providing the service. Any changes would be subject to public consultation and Parliamentary approval. The number of electronic requests for information for this purpose is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/who-dvla-shares-data-with. Vehicle keeper information is only made available to private parking operators who are members of an appropriate Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The ATAs are responsible for setting and enforcing codes of practice for their members. No analysis is undertaken in respect of the volume of requests made. The Information Commissioner provided an opinion in 2022 confirming the release of DVLA data for private parking management is lawful and my Department maintains regular contact with the ICO on these matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided guidance to local planning authorities on whether recreational routes associated with major residential developments should accommodate all non-motorised users, including horse riders and people with restricted mobility.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that planning policies and decisions should protect and enhance public rights of way and access, including taking opportunities to provide better facilities for users, for example by adding links to existing rights of way networks including National Trails. The NPPF is also clear that applications for development should address the needs of people with disabilities and reduced mobility in relation to all modes of transport. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to promoting sustainable transport. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Whether the Government plans to introduce nationally consistent guidance on the interpretation of regulations governing abnormal load movements and police escort requirements.

There are no current plans by government to introduce national guidance governing the movement of abnormal loads.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116788, if she will make an assessment of the annual cost to police forces of (a) administering roadside drug-impairment tests and (b) drug-driving testing.

The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and drug driving testing under section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the level of disputes over charges regarding private parking operators belonging to accredited trade associations since 4 July 2024.

The department holds baseline information on private parking appeals, provided through stakeholder engagement. The government also has a new strategy to enable the regular collection of data regarding the private parking industry, as outlined in the 2025 Code of Practice Consultation, once the revised Code has been published.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of the use of show plates on licensed vehicles used on public roads; whether her Department has considered prohibiting the fitting of show plates to vehicles licensed for road use; what steps she is taking to improve enforcement against vehicles displaying number plates that do not comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, including show plates; and whether she has had discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and police forces on the prevalence of non-compliant and show plates being used on vehicles driven on public roads.

The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles. The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in charge of a vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate and will consider whether legislative changes are needed to strengthen DVLA’s regulatory and enforcement powers. The DVLA works with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council on enforcement activity to tackle the criminal use of non-compliant number plates. The Government keeps the legislative framework for registration plates under review, including whether further measures are needed. It is already an offence to display a registration mark that does not comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001. The DVLA is considering options to strengthen and audit the Register of Number Plate Suppliers. DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards on compliance activity and investigations. Officials engage regularly with DVLA and policing partners, including police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, on the prevalence and enforcement of non-compliant plates, including show plates.

When the Department expects DfT Operator Limited to deliver a 3.5 per cent real return as set out in paragraph 11.43 of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO) is the government’s public sector rail owning group. As a head office it is responsible for overseeing its rail operator subsidiary companies. DfT Operator Ltd therefore has minimal external trading activity and therefore it is not currently required to achieve a specific return on capital employed. The Government does, however, expect DFTO Group to make efficiencies and savings through public ownership of rail services and from rail reform with the creation of Great British Railways. These efficiencies contribute to the more than 50 per cent reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy from £2.4 billion in 2024-25.

What funding her Department has provided through DfT Operator Limited to increase the number of rail training places.

The DfT funds DFTO Train Operating Companies directly for a range of activities including training, agreed during the rolling business planning process. This is currently not through DfT Operator Limited.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116554 on Hybrid Vehicles: Safety, whether there are areas of transport safety policy which the Government considers to be of paramount importance where the Department (a) does not hold the underlying analysis used to inform that policy and (b) has not assessed the effectiveness of that analysis.

In developing transport safety policy, the Government draws on a broad range of evidence to support policy development and decisions. This includes using existing independent evidence where it is sourced from robust and reliable research, alongside commissioning specific Government-funded studies when necessary to fill evidence gaps or complement and corroborate existing findings.

In what month and year her Department expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with any developments to the Northern Powerhouse Rail route referred to in the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 107146.

The Department is currently discussing the detail and timing of that work with Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116574 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, whether her Department has defined quantitative benchmarks for the total number of public electric vehicle chargepoints required to meet anticipated demand by 2030.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 116574.

What estimate her Department has made of the percentage of licensed vehicles operating in Greater London that are fitted with ghost, stealth or otherwise ANPR-defeating number plates; what data is collected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the prevalence of such plates among licensed vehicles; and what steps the Government is taking to prevent the use of ghost or stealth number plates in offences linked to sexual exploitation, organised crime and other criminal activity.

The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles. The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in charge of a vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate and will consider whether legislative changes are needed to strengthen DVLA’s regulatory and enforcement powers. The DVLA works with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council on enforcement activity to tackle the criminal use of non-compliant number plates. The Government keeps the legislative framework for registration plates under review, including whether further measures are needed. It is already an offence to display a registration mark that does not comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001. The DVLA is considering options to strengthen and audit the Register of Number Plate Suppliers. DVLA enforcement officers work with the police and Trading Standards on compliance activity and investigations. Officials engage regularly with DVLA and policing partners, including police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, on the prevalence and enforcement of non-compliant plates, including show plates.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of oversight arrangements governing access to vehicle keeper data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency by private parking operators through accredited trade associations.

Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards.Vehicle keeper data is only made available to private parking operators who are members of an appropriate Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The ATAs are responsible for setting and enforcing codes of practice for their members. The DVLA undertakes compliance checks and auditing to help ensure that requests for data are made for a proper purpose and that information released is used appropriately. The safeguards in place to protect personal data are kept under review to ensure they continue to provide appropriate protection.

Whether he has held discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on cooperation relating to counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities; whether he has considered the deployment of Ukrainian counter-UAV (a) expertise and (b) interceptor drone systems to support the protection of UK (i) military bases and (ii) critical national infrastructure; and whether he has assessed the potential merits of interceptor drones as an alternative to missile-based air defence systems for countering Iranian-designed UAV threats.

Russia’s illegal invasion has resulted in Ukraine becoming a world leader in drone and electronic warfare technology. The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on this issue and is delighted that on the 17 March 2026 the UK signed an enhanced security and defence industrial declaration, which will strengthen collaboration between Ukrainian and British defence companies in these crucial sectors.