Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What steps he is taking to integrate the Royal Air Force’s Protector MQ-9B’s automatic (a) take-off and (b) landing capability with civilian (i) air traffic and (ii) air traffic control.

The aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and NATS continue to work collaboratively towards integrating the RAF Protector (MQ-9B) technology so that it can be safely used within the UK’s controlled airspace. The CAA and the MoD will only give the necessary approvals for Protector to be fully integrated into controlled airspace when it is safe to do so.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 56675 on Hinchingbrooke Hospital: Roads, what discussions she has had with National Highways on returning land adjacent to Views Common to Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

The Department is not directly involved in negotiations concerning land acquired for the A14 scheme near Views Common. National Highways has been in discussions with Cambridgeshire Constabulary regarding surplus land in that area. A final compensation proposal has been accepted, and documentation is being progressed to enable payment and the return of land.

What upgrades will take place as part of the East Coat Mainline Programme in Huntingdon constituency.

The Department has invested £1.2bn in a package of route-wide infrastructure upgrades as part of the East Coast Main Line Enhancements Programme, the benefits of which are due to be realised through introduction of a recast timetable in this December, which will provide more frequent and faster services across the route. Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department is also working closely with Network Rail and industry stakeholders to develop options for a long-term pipeline of investment on the East Coast Mainline. This work will consider Network Rail’s assessment of the congested infrastructure on the route – including those identified between Huntingdon North Junction and New England North Junction – and explore opportunities to mitigate these constraints.

How many people will be required to move home in order to facilitate the third runway at Heathrow.

The Government is currently assessing proposals for the delivery of a third runway at Heathrow. Detailed impacts, including on homes, social infrastructure and community facilities, will depend on the final scheme design and boundary, which have not yet been confirmed. Further updates will be provided as the assessment progresses.

What progress she has made in implementing recommendations set out in the Stewart Review of HS2, published on 18 June 2025.

The James Stewart review made 89 recommendations across a number of themes. Four of these are complete and have been successfully implemented, all relating to the governance of the programme. The majority of the remaining recommendations are being implemented as part of the HS2 reset. HS2 Ltd will continue to work with and advise the Department on what is needed to complete the reset programme to deliver HS2 safely and at the lowest reasonable cost. Future updates on the reset and progress on implementation of the recommendations related to HS2 will be shared in the 6 monthly parliamentary report.

Whether she has taken steps to update The Air Navigation Order 2016 to reflect advances in drone capability.

In 2023, the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to review the UK drone Regulation which was undertaken through a public consultation. The CAA published its consultation reply on 8 May 2025. DfT is now updating the rules for drones to make them simpler, safer, and better suited to how they are used today and in the future. This includes updating the Air Navigation Order 2016.

Whether she has had discussions with UK aviation authorities on the certification of the Royal Air Force’s Protector MQ-9B.

The UK’s independent aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is leading work with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and NATS towards developing the necessary approvals to integrate the RAF’s Protector MQ-9B. The aim of this collaborative approach is to ensure that this technology can operate safely within the UK’s controlled airspace alongside other users. I receive regular updates from the CAA on all aviation matters.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent the exploitation of trade insurance policies by motorists to allow otherwise uninsured drivers to drive any vehicle on that policy.

All drivers must be insured to drive the vehicle they are using and for the purpose it is used for.The Government takes uninsured driving seriously. Police forces work closely with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) to tackle this. This is achieved through Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), a scheme where MIB and DVLA collaborate to identify uninsured drivers and police enforcement on the road.  There is also a national policing initiative known as Operation Tutelage to reduce the level of uninsured driving on our roads.

How many publicly available roadside electric vehicle chargers there were in Huntingdon constituency as of 1 July 2025.

Data on public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport, are sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap. The table below presents public charging devices in the Huntingdon constituency as of 1st July 2025 broken down by location category. On streetEn routeDestinationOtherTotal public charging devices Huntingdon constituency525927129

What assessment she has made of the level of use of infra-red reflective number plates.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of infra-red number plates. Work is ongoing to quantify the number of illegal number plates that are in circulation. The evidence gathered will support future initiatives needed to address this issue.

With reference to the Number 10 press release entitled UK to deliver on 5% NATO pledge as Government drives greater security for working people, published on 23 June 2025, if she will list her Department's (a) projects and (b) programmes by directorate that will contribute to the resilience and security element of national security spending for each year between 2025-26 and 2034-35 inclusive; and if she will list the amount of spending for each item (a) in real terms (b) as a proportion of concurrent forecast GDP.

We will set out detailed plans for meeting this new target at the appropriate time. The government will continue to report to NATO on delivery against the headline investment pledge and the split in line with NATO’s reporting schedule.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 34050 on Railway Stations: Alconbury Weald, whether Network Rail plan to proceed with the proposed new East Coast Mainline Station at Alconbury Weald.

The outcomes from the Spending Review for East Coast Main Line investment are still being finalised but will be communicated shortly as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure strategy.

What estimate she has made of the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied as a result of the US-UK trade deal on 8 May 2025.

The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel. The UK also already imports a significant amount of ethanol from the US. The deal requires the UK to provide a preferential duty-free tariff rate quota of 1.4 billion litres for U.S. ethanol across the economy. Across Government we will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other issues on the UK’s bioethanol companies.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) civilian and (b) military air traffic control is resilient to cyberattack.

The Department for Transport is responsible for regulating cyber security in the transport sector. For aviation, we work in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority to introduce relevant standards, guidance, and policy to ensure the cyber resilience of our essential services, including our national air traffic system. Using both policy and regulatory levers, we support effective management of the cyber risk and assist providers of our national air traffic system to secure their networks and systems. This support includes working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) both with, and on behalf of, our aviation sector to continuously assess and mitigate emerging cyber threats.

If she will update section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to include the dangerous use of illegal e-bicycles.

The government is making our streets safer, by introducing new cycling offences to tackle those rare instances where victims have been killed or seriously injured by irresponsible cyclist behaviour. This will ensure that all road users, whose behaviour results in the death or serious injury of another road user will face the same penalties. The new offences will apply to legal e-bikes. Illegal e-bikes are classed as motor vehicles, and so the existing offences of causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless driving, as well as section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, already apply to them.

What the road categorisation is of e-bicycles that do not require the rider to manually pedal.

If an e-bicycle complies with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 (as amended), it can be classed as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC). EAPCs can be propelled to the maximum assisted speed of 15.5 mph without the rider manually pedalling but they require approval either to assimilated EU Regulation 168/2013 (for the approval of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles) or the domestic Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme. If an e-bicycle does not meet the EAPC regulations it will be treated as a motor vehicle within the meaning of ‘Road Traffic Act 1988’. As a result, it is subject to the requirements for approval, registration, compulsory insurance, vehicle excise duty, and annual roadworthiness testing. The rider will require an appropriate driving licence and will need to comply with the relevant helmet wearing requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46122 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, how the location of the 100,000 local chargepoints across England will be selected.

Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding has been delivered directly to local authorities across England to support local charging, with a particular focus on supporting those who do not have access to off-street parking. Local authorities are responsible for their local highways and for determining the location of chargepoints which best meet their residents’ needs. Funding has been provided following an application process which includes the local authority approach to site selection.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46122 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, how much of the Local EV Infrastructure Fund will be allocated to local authorities in Huntingdon constituency.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which includes Huntingdon constituency, has been allocated almost £6m capital and resource funding as part of the £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, to transform the availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure sufficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure for all cars parked on-street.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 April 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 76,507 publicly available charging devices, an increase of 28% compared to this time last year. The £381m Local EV Infrastructure Fund, which is expected to leverage significant further private investment, is expected support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across England. The Department is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions. This allows EV drivers to access their domestic electricity tariffs by safely connecting a home EV charger to their vehicle parked on-street. Government has published cross-pavement guidance, as well as offering the EV Chargepoint Grant for Households with On Street Parking.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure sufficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure for all cars parked on-street.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 April 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 76,507 publicly available charging devices, an increase of 28% compared to this time last year. The £381m Local EV Infrastructure Fund, which is expected to leverage significant further private investment, is expected support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across England. The Department is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions. This allows EV drivers to access their domestic electricity tariffs by safely connecting a home EV charger to their vehicle parked on-street. Government has published cross-pavement guidance, as well as offering the EV Chargepoint Grant for Households with On Street Parking.