Every parliamentary written question tabled by Oliver Dowden this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 28 · Department for Transport
When she plans to determine the (a) process and (b) timings for identifying future Access for All projects.
Funding for future rounds of the AfA programme will be considered as part of the next Spending Review. The process for identifying future projects has not yet been finalised, but we are committed to reforming the programme as we move towards the establishment of Great British Railways, ensuring it continues to deliver maximum benefit for passengers and communities
What assessment her Department has made of trends in the amount of money used for accessibility improvements at railway stations from Section 106 agreements.
Since the Access for All (AfA) programme launched in 2006, there has been a steady increase of third party contributions from local sources, including from Section 106 agreements.
What recent progress she has made on improving rail accessibility in Hertsmere constituency.
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. At Elstree & Borehamwood station, full step-free access was delivered under the Access for All programme in 2014. Platform edge tactile paving is already in place at Elstree & Borehamwood station. More recently, platform edge tactile paving has been installed at Radlett (January 2022), Potters Bar (May 2022) and Cuffley (August 2022) stations.
What steps she is taking to raise awareness of equestrian safety among new and existing drivers.
The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses including the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. Following these updates the Department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. 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 Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, 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.
What assessment her department has made of the potential merits of implementing clear rules on the speed and distance vehicles must maintain when passing horse riders.
The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The advice on safe passing distances in Rule 163, says that motorists should “pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10mph and allow at least 2 metres of space”.
How many serious vehicle accidents have resulted from potholes in (a) Hertsmere constituency and (b) Hertfordshire since 2015.
The Department’s reported road collision statistics do not identify the cause of collisions. However, reporting police officers can assign up to 6 road safety factors which they believe may have contributed to the collision occurring. The number of collisions, involving at least one seriously injured casualty, which were assigned road safety factor “poor or defective road surface or deposits on road” between 2015 and 2024 are shown in the table. Area2015201620172018201920202021202220232024Hertsmere1101111000Hertfordshire12345982161
What steps she is taking to help increase pothole repairs in Hertsmere constituency.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
What progress she has made on supporting pothole repairs in Hertsmere constituency.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
Whether she has had discussions with Hertfordshire County Council on improving their road maintenance rating.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
What steps her Department is taking to support local highway authorities in improving their road maintenance rating.
The Government has confirmed a record £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years, providing longer‑term funding certainty for authorities to improve the condition of England’s roads. Where authorities encounter challenges and received a red rating under the Department’s assessment system, targeted support will be offered through peer reviews led by sector experts to help strengthen their maintenance practices and improve outcomes. The Department is also working with the UK Roads Leadership Group to update the Code of Practice for Well‑Managed Highway Infrastructure, helping ensure that local authorities continue to have access to current best practice guidance to support effective maintenance of their networks.
Whether she has had discussions with Hertfordshire County Council on potholes.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
What steps she is taking to ensure local authorities repair potholes in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
What steps she is taking to improve the condition of road networks in Hertsmere constituency.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
What steps her Department is taking to help support the maintenance of highways in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) is responsible for maintaining local roads in the Hertsmere constituency. The Department provided £35,671,790 in highways maintenance funding to HCC for the 2025/26 financial year and has confirmed a further £180,402,000 for the next four years (2026/27 to 2029/30) as part of the Department’s record £7.3 billion investment into local highway maintenance. This multi‑year settlement gives HCC the certainty to plan more proactive and preventative maintenance, helping to reduce potholes and improve overall road condition. To ensure authorities maintain and repair their roads effectively, the Department has introduced a new traffic light rating system based on road condition, spending, and use of best practice. Hertfordshire received an amber rating under this system, with their individual scorecards showing amber for condition, green for spend and amber for best practice. Ministers and officials engage regularly with local authorities. I met the Local Government Association on 10 February to discuss highways maintenance policy, and Departmental officials met HCC on 11 February to discuss their highways maintenance operations.
What steps the DVLA is taking to reduce the number of people using addresses not belonging to them for driving license applications.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process. The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions. The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
What discussions her Department has had with the DVLA on levels of fraud.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process. The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions. The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
What steps the DVLA are taking to reduce levels of address fraud for vehicle registrations and driving licenses.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process. The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions. The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
If she will review the policy of verifying addresses for vehicle registrations and driving licenses.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process. The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions. The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Whether she plans to introduce address checks for driving licenses and vehicle registrations.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process. The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions. The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.
Whether she intends to introduce mandatory address verifications on driving license applications.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s Driver and Vehicle Account provides motorists with a single online place to access all its services and information. The account allows customers to update their driving licence and vehicle information. To open an account, customers must verify their identify through GOV.UK One Login and this verification process includes an external identity check for verification of personal details, including the address. Information about the account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. Anyone applying for a driving licence for the first time must provide evidence of their identity so that the DVLA can verify and authenticate them. While there is no requirement for an applicant to verify their address, the DVLA does ask applicants applying online to provide current and historical addresses where appropriate to help the identity verification process. The DVLA also requires proof of identity when a vehicle is first registered. To ensure services are customer friendly and cost effective, when a subsequent application is sent to change the details of a registered keeper there is no requirement to provide proof of identity or address. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information and there are no plans to introduce additional checks for driving licence applications or vehicle transactions. The DVLA’s operational fraud team monitors both vehicle and driving licence records for evidence of fraud and acts on intelligence received from the police and other sources. This includes investigating possible anomalies in the use of addresses provided.