Written questions by Robertson.

How many (a) driving examiners were employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each month since July 2024, (b) examiners were fully qualified and deployable in each of those months and (c) vacant driving examiner posts there were in each month for which data is available.

Answers to written questions 101471 of 6 January, 104860 of 22 January, 122532 of 25 March, and 124195 of 17 April 2026, respectively provide data on how many full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests for each month from July 2024 to March 2026.In March 2026, DVSA provided car practical driving tests from 318 driving test centres (DTC). The national average utilisation figure was 75.74% in that month. The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066952) provides the utilisation figures for all DTCs in the same period. The capacity of each DTC will vary depending on the services it provides and whether DEs work full or part-time.DVSA takes a view of the number of DEs it needs, based on demand at a national level, then split down to test centre. The agency is working on a detailed view of DE requirements, based on demand forecast modelling at test centre level, rather than nationally. DVSA expects to have that view in summer 2026.Utilisation of DE time measures how much of a DE’s available deployable working time is used to deliver driving tests, rather than individual effort or productivity.The intention of the forthcoming changes to practical test booking arrangements will make the system fairer for genuine learners by reducing exploitation and churn. Other measures DVSA is deploying (such as recruiting more examiners and carrying out more overtime) are designed to improve waiting times and utilisation.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of restricting NHS staff from striking.

An impact assessment was completed and published online by the Department for Business and Trade on the Repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Services Levels) Act 2023. The Government has repealed these restrictions on striking National Health Service staff via the Employment Rights Act, which has come into effect with royal assent in December 2025. The impact assessment is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67129a858a62ffa8df77b3de/Impact_assessment_repeal_strikes_minimum_service_levels_act_2023.pdfThe Government will continue to work constructively with all NHS unions to avoid disrupting services for patients.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122317 on Railways: North of England, what the timetable is for (a) completing and (b) publishing a long-term strategy for the York area.

The decision was taken at the Spending Review to pause the project until a long-term strategy for the route can be developed further. The scheme will remain under review to ensure it can be delivered in the most effective way as part of a holistic strategy of investment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122891 on Driving Licences: Medical Records , what the timetable is for the (a) completion of updates to DVLA's online service (b) start of the operation of the new casework system.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 125013.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries will come into force in Northern Ireland before equivalent requirements are introduced in Great Britain; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications of businesses operating across the UK internal market.

No UK Internal Market assessment has been made. Article 5(4), in conjunction with Article 13(3) of the Windsor Framework, provides that the EU law listed in Annex 2 to the Windsor Framework, including that law as amended or replaced, will apply to and in the UK in respect of Northern Ireland. Consequently, the EU Batteries Regulation has applied in Northern Ireland from 18 February 2024. Working alongside the Devolved Governments, we are reviewing the UK's producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, we are considering aligning with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain. My officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore this further.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2026 to Question 124238 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, how many applicants have successfully received funding under the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking; and what the total value is of funding awarded under that scheme.

As of 1 January 2026, the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking grant has funded 39 sockets with a grant value of £13,531. The grant funds the installation of charge points at residential properties with on-street parking if they are also installing a cross-pavement solution. This grant is in addition to the £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant for local authorities. The Government has consulted on measures to reduce planning permission requirements for cross-pavement solutions, further supporting households with on-street parking, and will be responding in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 122116, whether the Government has plans to establish a targeted national relief scheme specifically for disruption arising from roadworks.

The Government has no plans to establish a targeted national relief scheme specifically for disruption arising from roadworks. Local authorities are responsible for managing and mitigating the impacts of roadworks in their areas. The Government’s focus is on minimising disruption through stronger coordination, enforcement, and tools such as permit schemes and lane rental.

What the average processing time was for driving licence applications in each month since December 2025 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The table below shows the average number of working days taken to process driving licence applications made both online and not onlinefrom January 2026 to date for both group 1 (cars and motorcycle) and group 2 (lorry and bus) applications. Group 1Group 2DateOnline ApplicationsNon-Online ApplicationsOnline ApplicationsNon-Online ApplicationsJan-261.34.81.03.2Feb-261.26.21.04.5Mar-261.27.01.05.1Apr-26 (to 14/04)1.27.31.06.4

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2026 to Question 123378, what are the job titles for the FTE staff.

Full-time equivalent (FTE) is a measure of the accumulated time recorded across the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) by staff who have allocated any of their time to the Sustainability Taskforce. The FTE figure does not represent an equivalent number of job titles or posts.

With reference to the flights listed to the Dominican Republic in WPQ 120039, what the purpose was of each such visit; which Ministers or senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the total cost was of each visit; and what assessment was made of whether those engagements could be conducted remotely or combined with other travel.

On one occasion, a Grade 7 travelled to the Dominican Republic at a cost of £1,123.42, in line with departmental policy, to attend and present at a regional event on management of airspace over or nearby to conflict zones. The event covered North America, South America and Caribbean regions and was arranged by the UN aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), with key input from the UK, Canada and Spain. The event achieved its primary high-level goal of assisting delivery of an awareness session in each region globally, while also delivering a clear security benefit. Participation in this activity supports the strengthening of international airspace management standards, promotes the consistent application of agreed airspace and risk management best practice, and contributes directly to safer and more secure global aviation operations. UK expertise is significant in this area and is highly valued by international partners, strengthening international capability to mitigate risks, including those potentially faced by UK airlines or citizens. On a separate occasion, the Department for Transport’s International Aviation Negotiations Team attended the International Civil Aviation Negotiation Event (ICAN) hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ICAN 2025 was hosted in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Dominican Republic and therefore held in the Dominican Republic. Officials met with foreign governments to update and further liberalise the UK’s portfolio of air service agreements - the treaties that underpin the legal basis for flights to and from the UK. ICAN provides a central forum to conduct bilateral air services negotiations and consultations with other ICAO member states over the course of a week. The event was attended by six officials, including a Grade 6, a Grade 7, three SEOs and an EO. Six officials allowed for multiple bilateral negotiations to happen concurrently, resulting in meetings with 30 countries. ICAN is a primarily in-person event, with delegations from over 80 ICAO member states in attendance. The total cost of the flights was £6,277.10 and was approved by Ian Elston, Deputy Director in the Department for Transport, in line with departmental policy. An assessment was made that the benefits to the UK economy through this work outweighed the cost of the sending a delegation to the event. There is an additional entry in the spreadsheet from WPQ 120039, relating to one Grade 6’s travel. This has been mis-recorded and is a duplication of previously stated travel.

A) what the failure-to-attend rate for practical car driving tests was in each month since January 2026 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.

The table below shows failure-to-attends (FTA) as a percentage of the total number of bookings for each month since January 2026.Month% FTAFebruary3March3 The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency monitors failure to attend rates and consider potential causes of those rates changing, together with potential interventions to reduce such rates, on an ongoing basis.

How many additional practical car driving tests were delivered by DVSA in each month since February 2026 compared with the same months in the previous year; of those additional tests, how many were delivered by (i) examiners working overtime, (ii) warrant card holders temporarily deployed from other DVSA roles and (iii) newly recruited examiners; and during which months warrant card holders from non-examiner roles were deployed to conduct practical driving tests.

www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/driving-test-and-theory-test-data-cars shows the number of car practical driving tests conducted up to March 2026. The below table shows the number of overtime tests since February 2026. Further information is not available. MonthNumber of Overtime testsFeb-2627,141Mar-2631,929

With reference to the Transport Development Fund, if she will publish (a) the projects and programmes funded and (b) the amount allocated to each.

The Transport Development Fund referred to in the 2015 Spending Review was a time-limited fund under the previous government.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of social media, email alerts and in-centre advertising for driving examiner roles by conversion to (a) completed applications and (b) successful hires.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to Question 122595, 30 March 2026.

Pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122545 on the Vehicle Certification Agency, whether her Department has set a target date for the Vehicle Certification Agency to eliminate its deficit.

The VCA is currently analysing responses to its recent consultation on increasing certain fees, which would support deficit reduction. If taken forward, any fee changes require the consent of this House through a fee order. We are therefore unable to set out a specific timeframe for elimination of the deficit at this stage. As is the standard practice, I will update the House in due course.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to help facilitate the installation of pavement gullies for at home EV charging.

The Department ran a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, seeking views on changes to permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging solutions. The Department will publish its response shortly. This expands on the £25m grant funding for local authorities, supporting the installation of cross-pavement channels.

What the total duration in hours was of (a) partial and (b) full closures as a result of the M6 Lune Gorge project.

Between 1 September 2025 and 14 April 2026, all recorded closures associated with preparatory works were partial closures only, affecting a single northbound or southbound carriageway, or lane closures. There were 18 overnight carriageway closures, each operating within a standard nine hour window (8pm – 5am), giving up to 162 hours of partial closures. In addition, lane closures from January 2026 total up to 270 hours. There were no full closures affecting both directions simultaneously during this period.

What forecast has been made of uptake rates for (a) zero emission trucks, (b) vans and (c) depot charging grants under the Zero Emission Truck and Van funding package, announced 25 March 2026.

The schemes have been designed so that grant funding is sufficient to fully support businesses to transition to zero emission vehicles, consistent with the Government’s plan to meet legally binding carbon budget targets. By 2030, within the current funding envelope we estimate that the schemes could award 250,000 zero emission vans grants, 20,000 zero emission trucks grants, and nearly 25,000 chargers under the depot charging scheme, although projecting this is highly uncertain. The total cost to the Exchequer is capped based on the announced budget of £877 million. Given the existence of the budget cap, we have not separately tried to estimate the maximum number of grants that could be delivered using the highest grant rates.

What estimate she has made of the maximum number of vehicles that could be subsidised under the Zero Emission Truck and Van, which her Department announced on 25 March 2026, at the highest grant rates, and the corresponding total cost to the Exchequer.

The schemes have been designed so that grant funding is sufficient to fully support businesses to transition to zero emission vehicles, consistent with the Government’s plan to meet legally binding carbon budget targets. By 2030, within the current funding envelope we estimate that the schemes could award 250,000 zero emission vans grants, 20,000 zero emission trucks grants, and nearly 25,000 chargers under the depot charging scheme, although projecting this is highly uncertain. The total cost to the Exchequer is capped based on the announced budget of £877 million. Given the existence of the budget cap, we have not separately tried to estimate the maximum number of grants that could be delivered using the highest grant rates.

What mechanisms are in place to ensure that successful HealthTech pilots are scaled and adopted nationally.

The Department, alongside NHS England, is working to improve the conditions for the adoption and scaling of healthcare technology (HealthTech) across the National Health Service.The Department has developed a National HealthTech Access Programme to provide a clearer national route to funding and adoption for high impact technologies. This draws on existing evaluation and assurance processes, helping to reduce variation following pilot activity. The focus is on technologies with the potential to rapidly improve NHS services and patients' lives, nationwide. The first two technologies to be evaluated by this mechanism are already underway and have the potential to transform early diagnosis of oesophageal, prostate, and breast cancer.In parallel, the Department and NHS England are supporting trusts to make more consistent procurement decisions through Value Based Procurement standard guidance for medical technology, which is currently at its pilot stage. This enables wider value considerations, alongside cost, to be taken into account during local procurement exercises.The Department continues to work closely with partners, including NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the NHS Supply Chain, and industry representative bodies to improve, scale, and embed adoption of HealthTech in the NHS.