Written questions by Raja.

What steps her Department is taking to address persistent speeding by repeat offenders; and whether the use of intervening and active Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) will form part of the strategy to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads, including by supporting effective enforcement of speed limits. Speed enforcement is an operational matter for the police, including decisions on prosecution or the offer of alternatives such as speed awareness courses. Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts. Drivers who repeatedly commit speeding offences, or who commit serious speeding offences, may face penalty points, fines and, in appropriate cases, disqualification from driving. The Government keeps the motoring offences framework under review but does not currently have any plans to introduce intelligent speed assistance for those convicted of speeding offences.

Whether she plans to take steps to close the regulatory gap that allows holders of provisional licences, including those converting from non-designated foreign licences, to continue driving unsupervised after failing a GB driving test.

Awaiting answer.

How many journeys have been undertaken by Ministers on the RAF 32 Squadron Dassault Falcon 900LX executive jet for official travel since 4 July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that HS2 Ltd has appropriate safeguards in place to (a) prevent anti-competitive practices and (b) protect safety-critical workers within the London Tunnels project; and what auditing mechanisms her Department is using to monitor the recruitment and safety standards of labour-only sub-contractors.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122247 on Driving Tests: Vacancies, what assessment her Department has made of the lessons learned from the recruitment of driving examiners via Jobcentre Plus referrals; and whether these lessons are being applied to wider recruitment practices across the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) piloted the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) Direct Temporary Recruitment scheme at six high‑vacancy driving examiner (DE) locations. From the pilot, DVSA made 37 job offers. Candidates are now undergoing pre-employment checks, and seven have already agreed training start dates. The pilot was considered successful. DVSA is working with DWP to explore expanding it to more locations and adopting it as a regular recruitment route. Due to the success of the pilot for DE roles, the approach has also been extended to other hard-to-fill DVSA roles, with job offers currently being made.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to licensing authorities on maximum processing times for licence renewals.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. The DVLA’s target is to dispatch 95 per cent of straightforward online driving licence applications within three working days and 90 per cent of paper applications within ten working days. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued is that the average time to make a licensing decision will be within 50 working days. In the interests of road safety, the DVLA must be satisfied that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government expects to publish the proposed Access to Nature Green Paper.

This Government committed in the 2025 Environmental Improvement Plan to bringing forward an Access to Nature Green Paper. This will provide an opportunity to explore options for improving and expanding access, test potential approaches, and gather robust evidence before any decisions are taken. A timetable for publication has not yet been confirmed, but further updates will be provided in due course.

What his policy is on linking the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes.

The UK and EU agreed to work towards linking their emissions trading schemes, the UK ETS and EU ETS, at the May 2025 UK-EU summit. This was on the basis of the Common Understanding text agreed at that summit. Linking is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the UK. These include a cheaper path towards decarbonisation by providing businesses with access to a larger, more liquid, stable carbon market. Linking would also create the conditions for mutual Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms exemptions, removing a major barrier to trade and lowering costs for UK firms.

Following the failiure of his Department to respond to my correspondence of 22nd January 2026 regarding an ongoing constituent case, as well as four seperate chases, when he plans to provide a substantive response to my correspondence of 12 March 2026 addressed to him regarding the matter.

Thank you for raising this matter. The department has investigated the case, and we have provided a response on Friday 15 May 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, with regard to Commitment 86 of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, whether the her Department has identified a suitable legislative vehicle to repeal the 2031 cut-off date for recording historic public rights of way.

Repeal of the 2031 cut-off date for recording historic public rights of way will require primary legislation. A specific legislative vehicle has not yet been identified. The Government is keeping this under consideration and will bring forward the necessary provisions when parliamentary time allows.

Whether she plans to ensure that horse riders are included within the design and provision of active travel routes; and what alternative arrangements will be available for equestrians where such provision is not made.

New or upgraded traffic-free paths or quiet country lanes can be designed to be attractive and safe for equestrians as well as walking, wheeling and cycling although in some situations it may not be possible to accommodate their needs. Active Travel England is developing its Rural Design Guidance, which will be published later this year, and is currently engaging with relevant stakeholders, including equestrian organisations such as the British Horse Society, Byways and Bridleways Trust and The Trails Trust.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the changes in student visa refusal rates over the last 12 months; and how changes in rates are reflected in sponsor compliance requirements.

The tighter Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics, set out in the Immigration White Paper on 12 May 2025, will come into effect in June. Metrics will not be changed according to fluctuations in student visa refusal rates, which vary over time due to changing trends and global conditions, as it is important that the sector has consistency in figures to work towards.BCA reforms are purposefully intended to drive a raising of standards in sponsors’ recruitment practices. The RAG system offers some flexibility and allows for proactive intervention where appropriate, including action plans and CAS restrictions, before reaching the licence revocation stage.The financial sustainability of the sector is regularly considered as part of our policy making. The Home Office has regularly engaged with relevant stakeholders, including the Department for Education, throughout the development of this policy. We will continue to do so throughout implementation and delivery to drive improvement in sponsor recruitment.

With reference to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 123235, whether her Department held discussions with garage owners or representative bodies on the practicality and administrative feasibility of conducting annual electric vehicle mileage checks prior to the announcement of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty at Budget 2025.

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, to create a fair tax system whilst also taking steps to ensure that driving an electric vehicle (EV) remains an attractive choice for consumers. The Government published a consultation which set out further detail on how eVED will work and sought views on its design and implementation. This included a commitment to engage with garages on the costs of mileage checks and MOT fees. As part of the consultation process, the Government has undertaken a programme of engagement involving a range of stakeholders, including garages, and is committed to continuing to engage closely on the implementation of eVED in the lead up to April 2028. The consultation closed on 18 March 2026. The Government is considering responses and will publish a response in due course.

What the expected date is for the commencement of on-site works at Bransty Tunnel, and what the expected date is for the full reopening of the Cumbrian Coast Line at Bransty Tunnel.

Awaiting answer.

What expenditure has DfTO undertaken on public affairs companies, and for what purposes, since 4 July 2024.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Chile; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039, what the purpose was of each flight to Indonesia; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that sponsors are not penalised for student visa refusals driven by (a) country conditions, (b) geopolitical instability and (c) other external factors.

The tighter Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics, set out in the Immigration White Paper on 12 May 2025, will come into effect in June. Metrics will not be changed according to fluctuations in student visa refusal rates, which vary over time due to changing trends and global conditions, as it is important that the sector has consistency in figures to work towards.BCA reforms are purposefully intended to drive a raising of standards in sponsors’ recruitment practices. The RAG system offers some flexibility and allows for proactive intervention where appropriate, including action plans and CAS restrictions, before reaching the licence revocation stage.The financial sustainability of the sector is regularly considered as part of our policy making. The Home Office has regularly engaged with relevant stakeholders, including the Department for Education, throughout the development of this policy. We will continue to do so throughout implementation and delivery to drive improvement in sponsor recruitment.

What assessment she has made of the risk that increased student visa refusal rates may cause otherwise compliant sponsors to breach the 5% refusal threshold.

The tighter Basic Compliance Assessment (BCA) metrics, set out in the Immigration White Paper on 12 May 2025, will come into effect in June. Metrics will not be changed according to fluctuations in student visa refusal rates, which vary over time due to changing trends and global conditions, as it is important that the sector has consistency in figures to work towards.BCA reforms are purposefully intended to drive a raising of standards in sponsors’ recruitment practices. The RAG system offers some flexibility and allows for proactive intervention where appropriate, including action plans and CAS restrictions, before reaching the licence revocation stage.The financial sustainability of the sector is regularly considered as part of our policy making. The Home Office has regularly engaged with relevant stakeholders, including the Department for Education, throughout the development of this policy. We will continue to do so throughout implementation and delivery to drive improvement in sponsor recruitment.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled £1 billion to cut costs for businesses, drive growth and clean up UK roads, published on 25 March 2026, over what period will the £1 billion funding package be spent; how much funding within the package is classified as (a) capital expenditure and (b) resource expenditure; whether the £170 million allocated to the Depot Charging Scheme forms part of the £1 billion total announced; and what estimate her Department has made of the number of depot charging installations expected to be supported by the £170 million boost to the Depot Charging Scheme.

The £1 billion in funding to support businesses to transition to zero emission commercial vehicles is classified as capital expenditure. The £171 million allocated to the Depot Charging Scheme is part of the £1 billion total, alongside £877 million for the Zero Emission Van Grant and Zero Emission Truck Grant. The Depot Charging Scheme is demand led and the number of grants offered will be dependent on the needs of businesses across the UK.