Written questions by Snowden.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Better buses, more services: £3 billion boost for millions of passengers, published on 5 December 2025, what guidance is being issued to councils on balancing investment between fare reductions, new routes, zero-emission buses and improvements to bus stops.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, whether that be reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses or improving bus stops and stations.LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality. Further details on the funding formula have been published on GOV.UK at: Local Authority Bus Grant allocations - GOV.UK.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Better buses, more services: £3 billion boost for millions of passengers, published on 5 December 2025, what criteria were used to determine the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) allocations published alongside the £3 billion investment.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, whether that be reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses or improving bus stops and stations.LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality. Further details on the funding formula have been published on GOV.UK at: Local Authority Bus Grant allocations - GOV.UK.

What steps she is taking to ensure there are sufficient rail services on alternative routes when planned maintenance works cause the closure of lines.

Network Rail plans its timetables 12 months in advance, meaning it can schedule in the time needed for planned works to improve the network. Network Rail plan works that cause the least disruption to passengers and include Bank Holidays, Sundays, and overnight when the network is less busy. However, when planned engineering works necessitate the closure of lines, train operating companies provide alternative transport and travel arrangements to help passengers complete their journeys. Alternative transport provision may include rail replacement services, ticket acceptance on other routes/operators, or diverted trains.

What the expected remit, budget, and governance arrangements of the UK Maritime Innovation Hub are.

The UK Maritime Innovation Hub will serve as a globally leading unit, encouraging innovation and supporting economic growth by helping innovators navigate the UK’s regulatory landscape. It will work collaboratively with classification societies and relevant UK regulators to facilitate innovation in the maritime sector, including initiatives for the trial and safe use of future fuels and other novel technologies. Funding for the Innovation Hub from 2026/27 onwards is subject to the Department for Transport's Business Planning process. The UK Maritime Innovation Hub will be within scope of the Department for Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency's existing Governance arrangements, with the necessary system of controls in place to monitor the performance of the Hub, ensuring it delivers value for money for taxpayers.

What steps she is taking to ensure the safety of electric vehicles.

Road vehicles must meet a broad range of rigorous safety regulations and obtain approval before they can be registered for use on UK roads. Recognising the global nature of the automotive industry, these regulations are generally developed within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in which the UK is an active member. The UNECE regulations include specific and robust requirements to safeguard against the novel risks and potential concerns associated with electric vehicles.

What the current average waiting time is for a driving (a) practical and (b) test for motor cars; and if she will set out how this compares to the pre‑covid figures.

The national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in October 2025 was 21.9 weeks. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) supervise the delivery of light vehicle MOTs through approved MOT garages. As these are private garages, the DVSA does not collate overall average waiting time data for MOTs.

What assessment the DVSA has made of the effect of the current 10-day cancellation period for driving tests on no-show rates.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course. The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

On what evidence the DVSA based its decision to withdraw Approved Driving Instructors’ ability to book driving tests on behalf of their pupils; and whether the DVSA has assessed the likely impact of this change on (a) test readiness, (b) road safety and (c) test centre administration.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course. The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

If she will set out which driving test centres will benefit from the help of military driving examiners under the partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course. The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

What modelling her Department undertook to inform its decision to remove instructor-booked driving tests to reduce waiting times.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course. The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

What assessment the DVSA has made of the regional impact of its proposed booking system changes.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee. The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course. The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.

What recent discussions her Department has had with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on the (a) mutual recognition and (b) simplified conversion of pilot licences between the UK Civil Aviation Authority and EASA member states.

Mutual recognition of personnel licensing and simplified conversion of pilot licences would require an expansion to the Aviation Safety Chapter of the TCA (Trade and Cooperation Agreement) which is reviewed annually at the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Aviation Safety. The last meeting took place on 21 November 2024 and no expansion was agreed.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing (a) registration, (b) geofencing and (c) remote identification requirements for (i) drones and (ii) drone components in order to improve (A) traceability and (B) enforcement.

This Government is delivering the following reforms in the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025.(a) All drones weighing 100g or more with a camera must be registered from 1st January 2026.(b) Drones weighing 250g or more must have geo-awareness requirements from 1st January 2026. Then, from 1st January 2028, Geo-awareness requirements will apply to all drones weighing 100g or more with a camera.(c) Drones weighing 250g or more must have remote identification (RID) requirements from 1st January 2026. Then, from 1st January 2028, RID will apply to drones weighing 100g or more with a camera.These reforms will improve traceability because they will enforce the registration of a RID “digital numberplate” that can be linked to a registered operator. Geo-awareness and RID will help law enforcement to target the actively non-compliant drones that have switched off RID and are ignoring geo-awareness alerts of airspace restrictions, therefore reducing the volume of incidents and length of investigation for suspicious drone activity.

How many road incidents involving horses have been reported in each of the last five years; and how many of those incidents resulted in (a) injury and (b) death to (i) riders, (ii) drivers and (iii) horses.

The number of reported personal injury road collisions involving horses and the numbers of killed or injured casualties in these collisions by road user type are shown in the table: YearCollisions involving horsesKilled horse ridersInjured horse ridersKilled drivers or riders (excluding horse riders)Injured drivers or riders (excluding horse riders)2020821780420217807602202272170032023530520520246306605 STATS19 only records horses as vehicles and therefore the number of killed or injured horses cannot be calculated.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of road safety measures in protecting (a) horse riders and (b) carriage drivers on public highways.

The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and my Department works with a broad range of stakeholders to help us achieve our aim. In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders. THINK!, the Government's flagship road safety campaign, plays an important role in raising awareness of, and encouraging compliance with, road safety legislation, including the changes to The Highway Code. THINK!, ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Results from the last campaign showed that by September 2023 93% of drivers agreed it was their responsibility to give space to vulnerable road users. We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of road traffic accidents caused by LED headlights affecting drivers' vision.

The Department does not hold data relating to the number of collisions caused by LED highlights specifically.The Department’s published road casualty statistics include figures for the number of collisions where ‘vision affected by dazzling headlights’ was recorded as a contributory factor by a police officer attending the scene. In 2023, the latest year for which this data is available, there were 216 reported injury collisions with this factor assigned.

What steps she is taking with local councils to help (a) prevent over-licensing and (b) to maintain (i) quality and (ii) safety standards for private hire vehicle drivers.

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime. All applicants for a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence must be deemed fit and proper to hold one. Under this system licensing authorities have the flexibility to set the standards they consider are appropriate. The Department for Transport issues statutory and best practice guidance to assist licensing authorities with this function, to promote safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation. As recommended in the statutory guidance, all taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The statutory guidance recommends that a licensing authority’s test of a driver’s language proficiency should cover both oral and written English language skills. This is so drivers can understand policies and guidance related to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and can apply them to identify and act on signs of exploitation. The best practice guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake training and/or assessment focussed on driver attitudes and behaviours. Where an authority has specific concerns about the driving ability of a driver, for example through passenger complaints, it would be appropriate for the authority to consider whether the driver in question should undertake a practical driving ability training course or assessment to address those concerns. The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public. A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that all private hire vehicle drivers meet minimum (a) driving and(b) language proficiency standards.

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime. All applicants for a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence must be deemed fit and proper to hold one. Under this system licensing authorities have the flexibility to set the standards they consider are appropriate. The Department for Transport issues statutory and best practice guidance to assist licensing authorities with this function, to promote safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation. As recommended in the statutory guidance, all taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The statutory guidance recommends that a licensing authority’s test of a driver’s language proficiency should cover both oral and written English language skills. This is so drivers can understand policies and guidance related to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and can apply them to identify and act on signs of exploitation. The best practice guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake training and/or assessment focussed on driver attitudes and behaviours. Where an authority has specific concerns about the driving ability of a driver, for example through passenger complaints, it would be appropriate for the authority to consider whether the driver in question should undertake a practical driving ability training course or assessment to address those concerns. The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public. A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Transport to help improve internet access across the rail network.

The Department has been successful in securing funding as part of the Spending Review to fit all mainline trains with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to upgrade on -train wifi.However, we know satellite connectivity will not work in tunnels, and the Department has been working with Network Rail to deliver improved connectivity on the rail network. Project Reach, which will renew fibre optic cables and address 4G / 5G mobile signals in 57 key mainline tunnels and stations, was signed 26 June 2025 between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reopening the Poulton-le-Fylde to Fleetwood rail line.

Business case development from 2023 found a tram-train solution as the most promising option to connect Fleetwood and Poulton-le-Fylde, but it offered “poor” value for money. No further DfT funding has been prioritised in this Spending Review. It is now for Lancashire County Combined Authority to decide whether to prioritise further work.