Written questions by Coghlan.

Whether she has had discussions with police forces, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other enforcement bodies on the impact of the legality of the manufacture, sale and fitting of flip plates and similar devices designed to obscure vehicle registration marks on road traffic enforcement.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prohibit the manufacture, sale and fitting of flip plates and similar devices allowing vehicle registration marks to be obscured while a vehicle is in use on the road.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of requiring decibel readings of exhaust noises to be recorded during the MOT test for motorcycles and other road vehicles.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regularly publishes data on MOT failures by vehicle type and failure category. Vehicle noise is included within ‘noise, emissions and leaks’. The full MOT dataset is also available on GOV.UK in anonymised form, so users can carry out their own analysis. For vehicles and motorcycles, the current visual and audible check as part of the MOT is sufficient to confirm an exhaust is properly silenced, as accurate exhaust noise measurements are not considered practical to measure accurately at all MOT test centres.

If she will require the publication of disaggregated MOT failure statistics identifying major defects relating specifically to exhaust noise separately from other categories.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regularly publishes data on MOT failures by vehicle type and failure category. Vehicle noise is included within ‘noise, emissions and leaks’. The full MOT dataset is also available on GOV.UK in anonymised form, so users can carry out their own analysis. For vehicles and motorcycles, the current visual and audible check as part of the MOT is sufficient to confirm an exhaust is properly silenced, as accurate exhaust noise measurements are not considered practical to measure accurately at all MOT test centres.

What plans her Department has to review the legal requirements for e-bike identification and rider accountability, in light of the challenges in prosecuting riders involved in serious collisions with pedestrians.

Only e-bikes that comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) Regulations 1983 are legal to use on the roads. While the Government has no plans to introduce new rider identification requirements for road legal bikes, it is the case that e-bikes which do not comply with the EAPC Regulations are classed as motor vehicles. This means they must be registered, taxed and insured. The rider must also wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence. The police have the powers to seize such e-bikes that have not been appropriately registered as motor vehicles. In addition, new offences for cyclists who cause the death or serious injury of another person are being introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill. This will mean that cyclists will face the same penalties as those who commit motoring offences.

What assessment she has made of the value for money of the decision by National Highways to block up the Queensbury Tunnel in the Bradford Metropolitan District.

Sustrans (now called Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust) produced a report for Bradford Council that assessed the Benefit Cost Ratios (BCR) of the active travel route options. The options included routes that would use the Queensbury Tunnel. The report made clear that the BCR scored for the routes were all very close indicating that none of them represented significantly better value for money over the others. Funding for an Active Travel route is the responsibility of the Local Authority. Therefore, without a clear commitment from either Bradford Council or West Yorkshire Combined Authority to provide funding for an active travel route utilising the tunnel, the difficult decision was taken to close the tunnel, subject to the appropriate planning approvals.

What steps she is taking to ensure the new digital service will handle applications with greater efficiency and consistency to tackle to backlog in medical license issues and renewal wait times.

The DVLA’s new casework system for driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated will deliver significant improvements and the DVLA is also launching a new digital medical services portal in April. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers. Applicants renewing an existing licence may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they can meet specific criteria. More information on this can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.

If she plans to undertake a public awareness campaign to promote the new Highway Code rules as part of the Road Safety strategy.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations. However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course. As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

What alternative schemes she is considering that will address the capacity issues on the Brighton Main Line, namely around Reigate and the Selhurst Triangle, which would have been addressed by the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme.

We are focused on prioritising the schemes that will make the greatest difference for passengers and support economic growth as quickly as possible. The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Croydon Area Remodelling scheme.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 104026 on 7 January 2026 on Channel Tunnel: Fares, what discussions she has had with the Office for Road and Rail on (a) consumer protection and (b) customer oversight.

The Office of Rail and Road is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain's railways, including international rail services, and is also responsible for some consumer protection matters. The Minister of State for Rail recently met with the ORR’s Chair, Declan Collier, and the Board to discuss a range of matters within the ORR’s remit, including facilitating competition within the international rail passenger market given the consumer benefits this is expected to bring for passengers. DfT officials also engage regularly with ORR counterparts to discuss these matters.

Further to 2 January 2026 written questions 102231: Crossrail 2 Line and 102232: Crossrail 2 Line, if she will use the analysis of the lessons learned from the success of the Elizabeth Line to assess other rail infrastructure projects, such as reassessing Crossrail 2.

Yes – I can confirm that every effort is made to learn lessons from other projects, including from the Elizabeth Line, when assessing plans and proposals.

Whether she plans to support low-income earners with transport to and from London following (a) the introduction of pay as you go ticketing in Dorking and Horley constituency and (b) price increases of between 3% and 24%.

The Department has commissioned independent evaluation on the trial, this research has not yet concluded. The current evidence is provided by LNER and is available at https://assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/6k2Evw4OmGsvywKgBg9U9j/e63a4ca09d2c4e01fada29f731d90f7b/Simpler_Fares_LNER_Website_Copy_Enhanced_Sept_2025.pdf .

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2026 to Question 103034 on Railways: Tickets, if she will make an assessment of the impact of cancelling evening out return fares between Dorking and London on commuters.

For stations in Dorking and Horley, we have simplified the complicated web of tickets by having one Peak and one Off-Peak price, with some fares changing and others being removed as part of improvements to ticketing via pay as you go with contactless expansion.   This will allow passengers greater flexibility in their choice of tickets, with some seeing a reduction in their ticket price. On 23 November the Chancellor and Transport Secretary announced that regulated rail fares will be frozen for the first time in 30 years. Over a billion journeys are going to be affected by this freeze with season tickets, anytime returns on commuter routes, and off-peak returns on longer-distance routes all subject to the freeze. The Department is currently progressing the evaluation of the phases of Pay as you go roll out in the South East. Once evaluation is complete we will make the final reports public.

Further to written question 103034 answered on 8 January 2026, when she will conduct this post-delivery evaluation.

The Department is currently progressing the evaluation of the phases of Pay as you go roll out in the South East, following the launch of phase one stations last year. Once evaluation is complete, we will make the final reports public.

How she plans to distribute the £24 billion funding to improve motorways and local roads which the Government announced on 8 January 2026.

The 2025 Spending Review allocated £24 billion of capital funding between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. The Department will confirm in the Third Road Investment Strategy, to be published in March 2026, how much capital funding will be invested in the Strategic Road Network over the five-year period 2026/27 to 2030/31, including annual funding profiles.The Department has already announced £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance over the four years in question and details of how this funding will be allocated and local authority funding allocations can be found on gov.uk. The Department will also announce the outcome of its review of MRN schemes shortly, as well as next steps on the new Structures Fund.

What discussions she has had with the Office of Rail and Road on the pricing of fares on cross-Channel routes.

International Rail services operate on an open access basis, with fares set in line with commercial strategy by the private companies involved. The Government engages regularly with the independent Office of Rail and Road to discuss its regulatory activities, which for international rail services include competition and consumer protection matters. The Government is committed to supporting the growth of our international rail connections with Europe and is working to establish a thriving and competitive market, which could deliver more competitive fares and greater choice, supporting industry to tackle capacity constraints and signing landmark agreements with Germany and Switzerland to pave the way for new routes.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) contactless and (b) pay‑as‑you‑go ticketing on (i) fare concessions and (ii) passenger costs.

Following delivery of Pay As You Go (PAYG) ticketing with contactless to further stations in the South East, we will conduct a post-delivery evaluation. This will support our understanding of the impact of these changes on various aspects of the passengers’ experiences of and satisfaction with PAYG and fare reforms following implementation.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the funding provided to the British Transport Police for protecting (a) people and (b) property at train stations.

The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators. As with all police forces, the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) has operational independence over the deployment of officers and other resources to meet their objectives as agreed with the BTPA. The protection of people and reducing crime on the railways are key to these objectives, as set out in the BTP’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Policing plan. BTPA and DfT regularly discuss with BTP their delivery and performance against these objectives. BTP’s budget has recently been set for the next three financial years. In 2026/27, it will increase by 6.2%, with provisional agreement for budget increases of 5.6% and 2.5% over the subsequent two years – an increase of over £65m from £415m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29, allowing for the creation of over 180 new officer roles for network policing.

What comparative assessment her Department has made of forecourt drop off and pick up charging practices at major international airports, including in the United States and Europe.

The provision of and charging for car parking at UK airports (including drop off and pick up charges) is solely a matter for the airport operator, as a commercial business, to manage and justify. However, the Government expects car parking at UK airports to be managed appropriately, and for consumers to be treated fairly.

Whether her Department plans to introduce (a) guidance and (b) regulation to (i) cap and (ii) limit airport forecourt drop off and pick up charges.

The provision of and charging for car parking at airports (including drop off and pick up charges) is solely a matter for the airport operator, as a commercial business, to manage and justify. However, the Government expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately, and for consumers to be treated fairly.