Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99978, when she expects the Government to publish its response to the public consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e.

The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation. The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, on what dates each HS2 environmental assessment published since 4 July 2024 was published, and to provide a link to each document, in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance on transparency.

HS2 Environmental Assessments published since 4 July 2024 are available on www.gov.uk alongside their corresponding publication dates here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-environmental-sustainability-progress-report- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sei-reports-for-new-significant-environmental-effects-on-the-hs2-phase-one-route- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2025- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2-2024

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99930, what the current maximum fine is for the use of incorrect or non-compliant vehicle number plates; and whether she has made any assessment of the deterrent effect of that penalty, including whether she will consider increasing it.

The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation. The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate is a £100 fixed penalty notice. Fixed penalty notices are issued by the police. The current penalty for using a vehicle with a cloned number plate is up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The government published its new Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026, setting out its vision for a safer future on our roads for all. As part of this, the Department from Transport is reviewing motoring offences and has published a consultation which seeks views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of “being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect/altered/false number plate”. The consultation can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-penalties-for-motoring-offences.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 96341, what consideration her Department has given to funding Public Service Obligation air routes between UK airports which do not involve the service starting or ending in London.

In December 2023, the Department for Transport published updated Public Service Obligation (PSO) guidance extending support to region-to-region PSOs which removes the historical requirement for eligible PSO routes to operate into London.Region-to-region PSOs can be used on existing routes if a route is at risk of being lost and the route meets the criteria for PSO support. These would need to be funded by the relevant local authorities.

When she was first informed of the decision by John Larkinson, Chief Executive of the Office of Rail and Road, to step down from his role.

The Secretary of State received a letter from the Chair of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on 8 December 2025 informing her of John Larkinson’s decision to retire from the role of Chief Executive of the ORR with effect from the end of April 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, what the cost was of each of the following HS2 environmental assessments published since 4 July 2024: a) the Environmental Sustainability Progress Report, b) Supplementary Environmental Information reports, c) Noise and Vibration reports, and d) Air Quality reports.

HS2 Ltd and its supply chain undertake routine environmental assessments throughout design and construction to confirm compliance with the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act, the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements, and other commitments and obligations, including those set out in existing UK environmental legislation. Environmental assessments are a constituent part of the design and construction process, and may relate to individual assets, sectors or the whole route and can relate to a variety of environmental factors such as noise, vibration, dust or biodiversity. In view of this, neither the Department for Transport, nor HS2 Ltd, collect information related to the cost of each individual environmental assessment undertaken on the route. Such assessments inform the content of the reports referenced in the question, and it is therefore not possible to disaggregate the cost of each individual report.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99925, what assumptions were used to estimate that the funding increases described will enable local authorities to fill an additional one million potholes per year, including assumptions on (a) the average cost of a pothole repair, (b) the proportion of funding allocated to reactive pothole repairs rather than other maintenance activity, and (c) regional variation in repair costs.

The estimate is based on the industry assumption that the national average cost of repairing a pothole is approximately £70. Using this figure, the £7.3 billion of funding from 2026/27 - 2029/30 would enable local authorities to fix millions of additional potholes each year when compared to previous funding levels. Alongside funding to support local authorities in repairing potholes, the Government has also taken action to prevent them from forming in the first place. A share of the increased investment that the Government made available in this financial year and in future years is contingent on local highway authorities demonstrating how they are complying with best practice in highways maintenance, including the greater adoption of preventative maintenance. These requirements are intended to incentivise local authorities to adopt more preventative maintenance and other best practice to ensure roads are kept in good condition for longer, fewer potholes form in the first place and that this funding is spent as effectively as possible in improving the condition of local roads.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) British Board of Agrément and (b) HAPAS-approved (i) self-adhesive surfacing membranes and (ii) other patch repair products on the long-term cost and failure rate of pothole repairs carried out by local highway authorities; and whether she plans to issue any guidance to local authorities and their contractors on (A) trialling and (B) adopting such measures.

The Government welcomes innovations that can help local highway authorities maintain their roads more effectively and efficiently. The Department encourages and supports innovation in road surface repairs in various ways.For example, it has started the task of updating the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will include new advice on matters such as surface treatments. The Department is also providing £30 million to the ADEPT ‘Live Labs’ research programme, enabling local authority-led consortia to trial innovative low-carbon ways of looking after their networks. One of the projects within the Live Labs programme is enabling novel resurfacing materials to be tested and evaluated through the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 96490, how much revenue the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency received in 2024-25 from a) local authorities, and b) agents acting on behalf of local authorities, for the provision of vehicle keeper details.

The information requested is not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of rolling stock availability for Great Western Railway services in the South West; how many Class 175 units are in operation on Great Western Railway services; how many drivers and conductors Great Western Railway plans to train to operate those units; and what plans she has to mitigate (a) cancellations and (b) overcrowding on those services.

The Department closely monitors rolling stock availability across the South West as well as the wider network, and is working on a rolling stock strategy to more effectively plan and utilise assets in future. There is currently one Class 175 unit in operation on Great Western Railway services. The first Class 175 entered service in December 2025, with the remainder of the fleet due to follow throughout this year. There is sufficient rolling stock to operate the current timetable, and the introduction of the Class 175s will provide additional resilience and capacity. Driver and conductor training is progressing well to support this deployment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 97165 and the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 93786 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, whether the DVLA provides registered keeper data to (a) Oxfordshire County council and (b) a third-party service provider to support the enforcement of the Oxford congestion charge.

Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to make information about UK vehicles and their registered keepers available for use by local authorities for a range of appropriate purposes. The DVLA has provided registered keeper data to Oxford County Council via its third-party service provider for the purpose of enforcing a congestion charge scheme.

Whether South Western Railway plans to consult on a new timetable in 2026.

South Western Railway (SWR) is planning to consult on its future timetable proposals with stakeholders and passengers during 2026.

How many vehicles on the West of England line have been modernised by South Western Railway since December 2025.

The 15X Fleet refurbishment programme started in December 2025 with refurbishment works on the first unit commencing on 29 December.

How many Southeastern stations had pay as you go ticketing on 1 January in each year since 2010.

From 1 January 2010, Pay As You Go (PAYG) was available at 65 Southeastern stations, increasing to 68 from 1 January 2015. On 2 February 2025, Project Oval expanded PAYG ticketing to National Rail Stations in the Southeast of England, bringing the total of Southeastern stations with PAYG services on 1 January 2026 to 74.

Whether the GPS based pay as you go trial between Sheffield and Barnsley has commenced.

Three Digital Pay As You Go (DPAYG) trials have successfully launched across the North and Midlands. The final trial, originally due to go live in November 2025, has been delayed. During rigorous pre-launch testing, issues were identified that would have prevented the DPAYG application from functioning as intended for participants. To ensure the trial delivers the best possible passenger experience and provides robust data for evaluation, the decision was taken to postpone the launch until these issues were resolved. We continue to work closely with Northern and the supplier to address the problems and launch as soon as possible. Northern will provide an update to participants in the respective trial in due course.

How many and what proportion of journeys on Greater Anglia services are within scope of pay as you go ticketing.

Greater Anglia has advised that as of the beginning of December 2025, Pay As You Go (PAYG) journeys on Greater Anglia services were 18 million per annum, accounting for 21 per cent of total Greater Anglia journeys. There are plans to further expand PAYG for journeys on Greater Anglia in the coming year.

What funding has been allocated to onboard WiFi and catering on TransPennine Express services in the last 12 months.

In the 2025-26 operating year, TransPennine Express has enhanced its catering, recruiting additional staff and supporting local small suppliers. These changes have led to improved customer satisfaction and additional ticket and catering revenue. Net catering costs for 2025-26 are £5.4 million. All TransPennine Express services offer customers free Wi-Fi. The cost of providing this in 2025-26 is £0.6 million.

Whether AI powered disruption updates are in use on LNER services.

This project is currently in development. LNER is working to introduce instant updates during disruption, powered by AI, to keep passengers informed and in control when travelling. This will enable faster, smarter decision-making, reduce delays, and help services recover more quickly, with delivery planned for later in 2026.

How many passenger information screens have been replaced at LNER managed stations in the last 12 months.

Fifty screens have been replaced in the last 12 months at York and Newcastle stations. This forms part of LNER’s wider programme to enhance passenger information across all managed stations.

Whether the Railways Bill will include a statutory target for passenger growth.

The Railways Bill was published on 5 November and will be debated at Committee stage later this month. GBR, as a passenger operator, will be incentivised to grow passenger numbers and will have a number of legal duties to support this. This includes duties to promote the interests of users, and potential users, and to maintain high standards of rail performance.