Written questions by Holden.

How much and what proportion of Government road maintenance funding has been allocated to (a) local and (b) non-strategic roads compared with the strategic road network since 2024; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding in meeting local maintenance needs.

In respect of local and non-strategic roads, the Department has allocated approximately £5.2 billion for local highways maintenance in England over the period 2023/24 to 2025/26. This comes from a wide range of sources including the Highways Maintenance Block, the Integrated Transport Block, Potholes Funding, Network North, the Local Transport Grant, and highways funding that has been consolidated into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).The figure does not include the baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use.The £226 million Local Transport Grant of 2025/26 is for local transport and maintenance more widely. Integrated Transport Block funding is for local transport maintenance and enhancements.The above figure includes the £500 million funding uplift for local highways maintenance in 2025/26 that the Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This funding goes well beyond the government's manifesto pledge and is helping councils to fix the equivalent of 7 million extra potholes in 2025/26.In respect of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), the Government provides National Highways with an overall funding settlement, which does not split out maintenance from other spending on their operations. However, National Highways reports that over the period 2023/24 to 2025/26, approximately £756 million of their funding settlement has been spent directly on the maintenance of the SRN. This figure excludes spend on the maintenance of sections of their network that are operated by Public Finance Initiatives (PFIs). These PFIs are paid a lump sum to maintain, operate and renew some sections of the strategic road network and maintenance costs are not split out.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78714 on Railways: Tickets, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the number of participants in the Digital Pay As You Go trials in evaluating the success of that scheme.

We want to ensure the evaluation of the trials is as robust as possible, while remaining proportionate to the scale of the scheme. The 1,000 participants per trial will allow the Department to gain valuable insights into how passengers engage with this technology, their perception of it, how it is working, and what improvements could be considered in future. We are confident the limited trial approach will allow us to effectively evaluate this.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the reforms to penalty notices for unauthorised school absences made in August 2024 on levels of unauthorised absence; and whether she plans to introduce further measures to help reduce term-time absences.

Tackling absence is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Thanks to the efforts of schools and local authorities, attendance is moving in the right direction. Children attended over 5.3 million additional days in the 2024/25 school year compared to the 2022/23 school year, with over 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent.The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out a support-first approach, ensuring that penalty notices are used only when appropriate. The national framework for penalty notices, which was introduced in August 2024 following national consultation, is designed to improve consistency and fairness across the country. It states that penalty notices must be considered on an individual basis, preventing schools from having blanket rules. Schools or local councils may choose to issue a ‘notice to improve’ instead of a penalty notice. This is a further offer of support before a penalty notice is issued.The department is monitoring the impact of these reforms alongside wider attendance measures, including regional improvement for standards and excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs and Attendance Mentors, which are helping to drive improvements.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of nationalising the rail network on the Government's (a) balance sheet, (b) debt and (c) future liabilities in each of the next ten years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) are responsible for classification decisions and measurement of public debt. Both publicly and privately owned DfT-contracted train operating companies are already included in the public sector, classified currently by the ONS as public non-financial corporations. Network Rail is also already classified to central government. HM Treasury and Department for Transport officials will assist the ONS in this work as required.

Whether future revenues generated from Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate buy-out penalties will be spent on aviation sector decarbonisation.

The SAF mandate, which started in January this year, includes ambitious but deliverable targets to supply sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Suppliers are expected to meet targets in the SAF mandate without the need to buyout. The buyout is not a revenue raising measure, and the buyout price is set at a level to ensure that unsustainable costs are not passed on to passengers. The SAF mandate generates demand, but we are also supporting SAF supply. Including through the Advanced Fuels Fund, which for the current year has allocated £63 million, and the creation of a UK SAF Clearing House to provide advice and support to SAF producers navigating the fuel testing landscape. This is helping to remove barriers to new fuels coming to market. The Government has also introduced legislation for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to increase investor confidence and unlock investment in UK SAF production. In addition to our considerable commitments on SAF, we are supporting the sector to transition to greener aviation through a range of measures, including delivering the airspace modernisation programme, which will see cleaner, quicker and quieter journeys, and major funding for new technologies through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).

What assessment she has made of the potential impact pay-per-mile road pricing on (a) rural motorists, (b) low-income drivers and (c) small businesses.

Fuel duty is projected to raise £24.4bn in 2025/26 and will remain in place. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26. The Chancellor meets with her Ministerial colleagues on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues. The Government keeps the tax system under review, with changes announced at fiscal events.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a national road-user charging system on (a) data-protection and (b) costs in administration.

Fuel duty is projected to raise £24.4bn in 2025/26 and will remain in place. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26. The Chancellor meets with her Ministerial colleagues on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues. The Government keeps the tax system under review, with changes announced at fiscal events.

What discussions she has had with HS2 Ltd on the the delay to the planned connection between High Speed 2 and the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre; what the additional cost to the public purse will be as a result of that delay; and what recent steps the she has taken to ensure that the HS2 project is delivered on time and within budget.

The Secretary of State for Transport and the Rail Minister have regular engagement with the CEO and Chair of HS2 Ltd to maintain oversight of the project and support their comprehensive reset of HS2. The government has committed an unprecedented settlement of £25.3 billion to progress the delivery of HS2 and Euston up to 2029/30, which will fund construction of the new railway at the lowest reasonable cost. New estimates for the programme’s overall costs and schedule are being developed as part of the HS2 reset. The four-year deferral of works between Delta Junction and Handsacre Junction will enable construction efforts to focus on the cost-efficient delivery of HS2’s opening stage between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street. The works in this area were already paused, meaning the further deferral will not incur demobilisation costs. There will be some additional costs from prolongation and inflation, but these are necessary given the HS2 reset and the need to budget carefully in the wider context of total government spending. The Secretary of State informed the House of the action she took to bring HS2’s delivery under control in an oral statement she made in June 2025 and in her HS2 progress report of July 2025. Further updates will be provided in the Department’s future six-monthly reports to Parliament.

When she plans to publish the new Road Safety Strategy.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. This Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Our Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. We intend to publish by the end of the year.

How much her Department has spent on drug-driving (a) enforcement and (b) communications campaigns in each year since 2023; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of those campaigns.

The Department for Transport does not hold responsibility for enforcement, this is a matter for police forces. The last paid THINK! drug driving campaign ran in 2015, to coincide with a change in drug driving legislation. To address an increase in drug driving casualties over the last decade, THINK! are finalising a new drug driving campaign to launch later this year. Please find drug driving campaign expenditure since 2023 below: Total spend to dateFinancial year 2024/25£35,000Financial year 2025/26£339,719.71 All campaigns are rooted in insight and will use pre and post campaign tracking to measure effectiveness, including immediate impact on recognition, recall, engagement and planned or considered behaviour change. These learnings are used to adapt and evolve future strategy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78706 on Motorcycles: Manufacturing Industries, how many (a) motorcycles, (b) British-built motorcycles, and (c) Maeving motorcycles have received support through the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

Since 2017, the Plug-in Motorcycle grant has supported 13,349 motorcycles. The Department does not collect data on the location of vehicle assembly. The Department cannot provide breakdown of support to an individual manufacturer due to commercial sensitivity.

Whether her Department plans to allocate further funding for HGV driver welfare and parking infrastructure from (a) the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme and (b) other schemes.

Through the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme the Department and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This significant investment is in addition to joint investment by National Highways and industry of up to a further £30 million, aimed at improving lorry parking facilities along the strategic road network. There are no plans for further windows of the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Matched Funding Scheme. Funding for further lorry parking improvements is planned for the third road investment strategy (RIS3) as part of the Customer and Community Designated Funds, subject to confirmation National Highways RIS3 settlement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October to Question 82739 on Electric Vehicles: Grants, whether her Department holds provisional data on the country of manufacture of vehicles subsidised through the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme during the 2025–26 financial year; what the average time lag is between an order and the payment of a grant; and when the Department expects to hold complete data for that period.

A completed order is defined as logged on the grant portal, registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and delivered to the customer within nine calendar months. The Department does hold provisional order data for the total 2025-26 scheme year. As of 23 October, a provisional total of over 27,800 Electric Car Grant orders have been placed since launch. The Department expects to hold completed data for the 2025-26 financial year in line with the definition of completion: nine months following the end of the 2025-26 financial year (January 2027).

What assessment her Department has made of (a) the average cost per new HGV parking space delivered through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund to date and (b) the total expenditure on that Fund since its launch.

No assessment has been made of the average cost per new HGV parking space delivered by the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as costs can vary significantly based on location and extent of work required. The total amount of funding contractually committed to improvement projects by this scheme, as of 23 October, is £13,849,303.45 of which £10,172,066.38 has been spent to date. Up to 1,500 parking spaces will be created alongside wider improvements including to security, welfare facilities such as showers, toilets and dining facilities and decarbonisation measures.

What assessment has been made of the decision to defer work on the Handsacre link on journey times between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow; and what impact this will have on the overall economic case for HS2.

HS2 Ltd has extended the deferral of works between Birmingham and Handsacre, in place since spring 2023, to focus efforts on the cost-efficient delivery of the opening stage of HS2 between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street. Given the Department remains committed to delivering Phase 1 in full, including the Handsacre link to the West Coast Main Line, the deferral is not expected to have any impact on journey time improvements between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow once delivery is complete.The deferral will enable the delivery of HS2’s opening stage as soon as possible and at the lowest reasonable cost to taxpayers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77643 on London Underground: Strikes, whether she plans to meet with other regional transport authorities impacted by industrial action.

Where transport matters are devolved, it is for the devolved authority to deal with any industrial action which may arise. The government would always encourage all sides to work together to resolve any issues as quickly as possible, in the interests of keeping Britain moving.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82745 on Roads: Freight, on what dates her Department has met representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss cost pressures since July 2024.

Department for Transport officials regularly meet representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss a wide range of issues impacting the industry. Meetings of industry forums at which road freight representatives were present include: Meetings of the Freight Council on 7 April, 24 June and 6 October 2025 The Freight Workforce Group meetings on 23 October 2024 (as the People and Skills Group) and on 30 April, 5 June and 17 September 2025. The Road Freight Industry Engagement Group meetings on 25 July 2024, and on 27 February, 29 April, 26 June and 23 September 2025. In addition, officials hold ad hoc meetings with road haulage businesses and trade associations to discuss issues raised by the sector, including those relating to costs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2025 to Question 76334 on Driving Licences: Moldova, if her Department will publish the technical evaluation undertaken by the (a) DVLA and (b) DVSA on Moldovan driving test standards; what the date was of that assessment; and whether any independent verification was sought.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) initially assessed the current driver testing standards in Moldova in December 2022. When DVSA receives an application from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency under the mutual exchange of driving licences, DVSA carries out an evaluation from its own panel of subject matter experts. This panel has the expertise in each of the categories of driving test and licence exchange being applied for. External evaluation is not sought as part of this process.

How many officers are currently assigned to the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service; what that Service’s annual budget is for the 2025-26 financial year; and what discussions she has had with that Service on the adequacy of its capacity to tackle organised HGV and freight thefts.

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. This Government is determined to crack down on it.The Government does not fund the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS). NaVCIS is funded by industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers, to provide dedicated specialist intelligence and enforcement.My officials have regular discussions with key partners, including Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, and NaVCIS about tackling organised freight crime.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78701 on Roads: Repairs and Maintenance, what proportion of that £6.5 billion funding was spent specifically on pothole repairs; what the real-terms change in funding was for local highway maintenance between 2019-20 and 2025-26, and what share of that funding was allocated to authorities outside City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement areas.

I have since issued a written ministerial correction to clarify that the Department allocated approximately £8 billion for local highways maintenance in England over the period 2021/22 to 2025/26 alongside an explanation of what funds this figure takes into account. It is not possible to determine the proportion of this that was spent specifically on pothole repairs by local highway authorities as it is for these authorities to assess which parts of their network need repair and to determine and deliver their maintenance programmes. The Department has earlier this year introduced new reporting requirements which require each local highway authority to publish a transparency report on their maintenance programme on their website. In these reports, local highway authorities were also required to provide an estimate of the number of potholes that they filled in previous years. In real terms, highways maintenance funding in 2025/26 is around £300 million higher than in 2019/20. City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) payments began in 2022/23. Since 2022/23, approximately 85% of funding has been allocated to areas outside of areas eligible for CRSTS funding. This figure is exclusive of highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding for 2025/26. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use.