Written questions by Holden.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of transferring the Office of Rail and Road’s (a) regulatory and (b) oversight functions to Great British Railways on (i) passenger protections and (ii) service standards.

The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent and that Great British Railways will be accountable for its decisions with appropriate oversight in place. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to provide external regulation, enforcement and monitoring in the new sector across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.

What steps she is taking to ensure scrutiny of Great British Railways’ decisions.

The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to play a crucial role in the new sector providing independent monitoring and enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.

What enforcement powers the Office of Rail and Road will retain once the Railways Bill is enacted; and in which circumstances her Department, will act as the primary regulator.

The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to play a crucial role in the new sector providing independent monitoring and enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71238 on Buses and Large Goods Vehicles: Licensing, when her Department plans to publish a response.

The previous government launched a consultation on amending licensing restrictions to allow 18 to 20-year-olds to drive a bus and coach for distances exceeding 50km when driving a regular service. The previous government did not publish a response to its consultation before it left office. This government is now working closely with operators to obtain further evidence and will then consider next steps.

Whether the Office of Rail and Road will (a) remain independent of Government and (b) retain oversight over Great British Railways’ decisions on (i) funding, (ii) licensing and (iii) track access.

The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office and Rail and Road will continue to play a crucial role in the new sector providing independent monitoring and enforcement across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.

What discussions her Department has had with train operating companies on industrial disputes relating to the scanning of electronic tickets.

The train operating companies are responsible for managing industrial relations with their workforces and trade unions. The Department engages regularly with all of its contracted train operating companies regarding their approach to industrial disputes, including regarding ticket scanning.

With reference to her Department’s guidance entitled Lane rental schemes: guidance for English highway authorities, updated on 3 April 2025, whether she has implemented the proposal to allow overrun charges under section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 to be applied on (a) weekends and (b) bank holidays.

Following consultation, the Government announced its intention to double fixed penalty notices, extend overrun charges to apply on bank holidays and weekends, and permit highway authorities to allocate 50% of surplus funds from lane rental schemes towards road maintenance. The relevant Statutory Instrument will be laid shortly to enable the necessary changes to come into force, with practical implementation in early 2026, the intervening period will help ensure the industry and Local Highway Authorities have time to adapt and be ready for them.

With reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) construction inflation and (b) other cost pressures on the (i) scope and (ii) delivery timetables of planned enhancement projects.

Following the publication of the Draft Road Investment Strategy (RIS), National Highways has produced a draft Strategic Business Plan setting out how it intends to deliver the Government’s objectives within the proposed funding available, which the Office of Rail and Road is now in the process of assessing in its Efficiency Review. This review will include detailed considerations on matters such as the treatment of cost pressures and deliverability and will inform the final RIS which is due to be published next year.

With reference to her Department’s guidance entitled Lane rental schemes: guidance for English highway authorities, updated on 3 April 2025, whether she has implemented the requirement for highway authorities to spend a minimum of 50% of surplus lane rental funds on repairing potholes.

Following consultation, the Government announced its intention to double fixed penalty notices, extend overrun charges to apply on bank holidays and weekends, and permit highway authorities to allocate 50% of surplus funds from lane rental schemes towards road maintenance. The relevant Statutory Instrument will be laid shortly to enable the necessary changes to come into force, with practical implementation in early 2026, the intervening period will help ensure the industry and Local Highway Authorities have time to adapt and be ready for them.

What steps her Department has taken to ensure there is adequate payroll and human resources capacity within the Department to manage the employees of the newly nationalised South Western Railway operating company; and whether it entered into any external contract to assist delivery in state control of South Western Railway.

South Western Railway (SWR) has been responsible for the provision of its own payroll and human resources services both before and after being taken into public ownership. The public ownership programme sees train operating companies transition into the Department for Transport Operator, not the Department itself. The Department did not enter into any external contracts with the specific purpose of transferring South Western Railway into public ownership.

With reference to her oral answer to the hon. Member for Tipton and Wednesbury of 26 June 2025, Official Report, col 1241, what progress she has made on closing the loopholes in the taxi licensing regime.

All taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public. Licensing authorities can already jointly authorise officers from other authorities so that compliance and enforcement action can be taken against licensees from outside their area. Such an agreement would set out the range of powers available, but these could include the ability to undertake compliance checks and immediately suspend a driver’s licence in the interests of public safety. This enables the use of the agreed powers regardless of which authority within the agreement the officer is employed by and which issued the licence. A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

Whether her Department plans to (a) allow fast-track approval routes, (b) introduce parliamentary sign-off and (c) implement other reforms to the judicial review process to help ensure nationally significant road projects do not have prolonged legal delays.

The Department for Transport is committed to ensuring that nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), including major road schemes, are delivered efficiently and without unnecessary delay.The Department is actively exploring options to streamline the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) includes provisions to remove mandatory pre-application consultations and revise acceptance tests to accelerate decision-making and reduce potential bottlenecks.We are also legislating to tighten the judicial review process. Key reforms include removing the paper permission stage; limiting appeals for cases deemed “Totally Without Merit” at oral hearings; exploring target timescales for judicial reviews in collaboration with the judiciary. These reforms aim to prevent meritless claims from delaying critical infrastructure while ensuring legitimate challenges are heard promptly.In parallel, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also launched a public consultation on streamlining infrastructure planning. Proposals being consulted on include reforms to pre-application services, enhanced guidance for statutory bodies, and improvements to the fast-track process administered by the Planning Inspectorate.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicle drivers obtaining licenses in areas known to have a weaker vetting on risks to passenger safety.

All taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public. Licensing authorities can already jointly authorise officers from other authorities so that compliance and enforcement action can be taken against licensees from outside their area. Such an agreement would set out the range of powers available, but these could include the ability to undertake compliance checks and immediately suspend a driver’s licence in the interests of public safety. This enables the use of the agreed powers regardless of which authority within the agreement the officer is employed by and which issued the licence. A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

If she will take steps to allow local licensing authorities to (a) inspect, (b) suspend and (c) revoke (i) taxi and (ii) private hire licences issued by other authorities for vehicles operating in their area.

All taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists. The Department for Transport will legislate to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing more broadly. We are considering all options including out of area working, national standards and enforcement – seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. In the interim the Department is reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance and determining how the statutory guidance on protecting children and vulnerable adults can be strengthened to further protect the public. Licensing authorities can already jointly authorise officers from other authorities so that compliance and enforcement action can be taken against licensees from outside their area. Such an agreement would set out the range of powers available, but these could include the ability to undertake compliance checks and immediately suspend a driver’s licence in the interests of public safety. This enables the use of the agreed powers regardless of which authority within the agreement the officer is employed by and which issued the licence. A consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, which would increase consistency in licensing and make better use of enforcement powers, will be launched shortly.

With reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, what proportion of funding originally allocated to enhancement schemes has been reallocated to (a) road renewals, (b) maintenance, (c) safety upgrades and (d) technology and carbon reduction initiatives.

The Final Road Investment Strategy 3 document (RIS3), and National Highways’s subsequent final Delivery Plan for RIS3, will set out in detail matters such as the amount of funding allocated to operations, maintenance, renewals and enhancements as well as wider investment to support specific outcomes. These will be informed by National Highways’s proposals in its draft Strategic Business Plan, and by the efficiency review of these proposals that is being carried out by the Office of Rail and Road.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Draft Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), published on 26 August 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changing costs on the RIS3 capital investment programme; and whether her Department plans to amend funding for that programme.

The Draft Road Investment Strategy provided the first public indication of the likely size, shape and priorities for RIS3 over the period 2026/27 to 2030/31. National Highways has produced a draft Strategic Business Plan setting out how it intends to deliver the Government’s objectives within the proposed funding available, which the Office of Rail and Road is in the process of reviewing. This review will inform whether the proposed funding set out in the draft RIS is appropriate to deliver these objectives, taking account of matters such as likely inflationary and other cost pressures over the period.

With reference to the Draft Road Investment Strategy 3, published on 26 August 2025, what her Department's planned timetable is for publishing a revised list of Strategic Road Network enhancement projects that will proceed during Road Period 3.

The final Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) document will confirm the enhancement projects being taken forward for delivery in the period from 2026/27 to 2030/31, and those in the pipeline being developed to be considered for possible delivery beyond 2031. It is due to be published in March 2026.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Draft Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), published on 26 August 2025, whether she plans to publish the final RIS3 by March 2026.

As set out in the draft RIS3 document published on 26 August 2025, the Department does indeed intend to publish the final Road Investment Strategy 3 by March 2026.

With reference to the consultation outcome entitled Exchange of car driving licences issued in Moldova, published on 9 July 2025, on what evidential basis the (a) DVLA and (b) DVSA assessed the Moldovan theory and practical driving tests as equivalent to those in Great Britain; and whether any independent safety assessments were conducted.

Current driver licensing and testing standards in Moldova have been assessed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The technical evaluation looks at the following, including: the minimum test vehicle requirements,the duration of the test,any specific requirements,the manoeuvres completed,and the standard of assessment applied. The training and quality assurance arrangements for driving examiners of the applying country are also evaluated, along with the arrangements, content, technical approach and marking system for theory and hazard perception testing.

With reference to the consultation outcome entitled Exchange of car driving licences issued in Moldova, published on 9 July 2025, whether her Department plans to review the 12-month period during which drivers from (a) non-EU and (b) non-EEA countries may drive in Great Britain without exchanging their licence.

My department does not currently have any plans to review the 12-month exchange period during which drivers from non-EU, or non-EEA countries may drive in Great Britain without exchanging their licence.