Written questions by Holden.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of vehicles that are using roads that have no known registered (a) keeper and (b) owner.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) takes the accuracy of its vehicle register seriously. It is crucial that registered keeper details are accurate for road safety and law enforcement purposes. The latest available data shows that more than 92 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable from the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, six per cent are in the motor trade which means that there will be no registered keeper details on the vehicle record. The DVLA works closely with a range of key stakeholders on these important issues. The DVLA gathers information and intelligence regarding illegal and improper conduct and will follow up any notifications of fraudulent activity with the relevant authorities. The DVLA also sends the police ‘vehicle of interest’ reports so that the police can use automatic number plate recognition cameras to identify potential offenders. These reports include vehicles which have no registered keeper details, no insurance or no valid MOT. Evidence of identity, which can be a passport, driving licence or utility bill, must be presented when a vehicle is being registered for the first time. However, to ensure that services remain both easy for customers to use and cost effective for taxpayers, there are no plans to introduce checks when a vehicle subsequently changes hands. It would be very difficult for ordinary members of the public to verify or authenticate the identity documents being provided to them when selling their vehicle privately. It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information or to use a vehicle on the road without a valid driving licence. The police have existing powers to seize vehicles which are not complying with legal requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51961 on Abellio Greater Anglia and c2c: Standards, if he will list the (a) metrics (b) incentives and (c) penalties applicable to public sector train operators.

Public sector operators will have to meet rigorous, bespoke performance standards and earn the right to be called Great British Railways. They will be held to account for their performance against metrics including punctuality, reliability, customer experience and satisfaction, service quality, financial performance, environmental performance and minimising rates of ticketless travel. Performance against metrics will be regularly reported to the Department and many metrics will also be published, including at train stations.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51962 on Abellio Greater Anglia and c2c: Standards, what her planned timeline is for the improvements to Cambridge South Station; when the Transport and Works Act Order for the project was issued; when did construction begin; and when it is expected to be completed.

The Transport and Works Act Order for Cambridge South was granted in December 2022, and construction work began on site in February 2023. We expect the new station to open early in 2026; an exact date will be confirmed later in the year.

What steps she is taking to (a) ensure the consistency of the passenger experience on trains on (i) C2C and (ii) Greater Anglia services after they have been nationalised and (b) establish penalties for those responsible for poor passenger experience.

Bringing passenger services into public ownership will ensure services are focused on delivering for passengers, not shareholders. Our priority is to deliver a smooth and safe transition of c2c’s and Greater Anglia’s services into public ownership this year, with no disruption to passengers. We expect public-sector operators to focus relentlessly on improving reliability, punctuality and other aspects of the service that matter most to passengers, and we will hold them to account for doing so.

What steps she is planning to take to improve the (a) C2C and (b) Greater Anglia rail networks.

The Cambridge South station project will deliver a new four-platform station on the West Anglia Main Line between the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Southern Fringe development area. Consideration of further improvements to the C2C and Greater Anglia networks will be informed by Spending Review 2025.

If she will make a comparative assessment of (a) levels of passenger satisfaction and (b) the number of trains on that have run on time on (i) Northern Rail, (ii) C2C and (iii) Greater Anglia in the last 12 months.

A comparison with Northern is not appropriate as this Government inherited that operation with a long running industrial dispute that the previous Government had taken no steps to resolve. We hold Northern, c2c and Greater Anglia to account for their performance through a variety of contractual measures (including the quality of service, punctuality and how they are managing customer satisfaction). Train performance data can be found on the ORR website and satisfaction data is published by Transport Focus at the following websites: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/ https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/insight/rail-passenger-scorecard/

What steps she plans to take to speed up the roll out electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The Government is working with stakeholders, including industry, to accelerate the rollout of chargepoints. We have recently published a call for evidence which aims to gather views on how we can reform the planning system to make EV charging rollout easier, quicker and cheaper. The Government’s £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking.

What plans her Department has to support buyers of second-hand electric vehicles.

Used battery electric vehicle (EV) sales are growing rapidly. According to industry statistics, in 2024 the number of used EVs sold grew 57% compared to 2023. Growth is expected to continue as more and more EVs come onto the used market in the coming years. The Government will continue to work closely with industry to monitor the health of the used market and residual values. We keep all policies under review, to ensure the EV transition takes place in an equitable and fair manner.

What progress her Department has made on implementing a standardised battery health certification scheme for electric vehicles.

The Department for Transport has worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to develop a Global Technical Regulation on electric vehicle batteries (GTR No.22). If implemented, the regulation would set standards on the lifespan of a battery and its minimum durability. It would also ensure that information about electric vehicle batteries is easily accessible, accurate and comparable. The Government is currently analysing options for the implementation of GTR No.22 regulations in the UK and aims to consult on these plans later this year. In the meantime, the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate requires all new electric vehicles to be sold with a warranty that includes battery replacement if capacity falls below 70% in the first 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever is sooner.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage garage and repair networks to offer (a) accessible and (b) affordable (i) battery health testing and (ii) other maintenance services for owners of electric vehicles.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has endorsed the Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI) TechSafe scheme, which helps to ensure technicians have the skills they need to safely repair an electric vehicle (EV). It also allows consumers to access a register to find their nearest EV competent technician. According to the IMI, 64,700 technicians are already qualified to work on an EV. This represents 26% of all technicians in the UK. The Department for Transport has also worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to develop a Global Technical Regulation on electric vehicle batteries (GTR No.22). If implemented, the regulation would require that vehicles provide easily accessible, accurate and comparable information about the battery's state of health. The Government aims to consult on options for the implementation of GTR No.22 in the UK later this year.

Whether appointments to the Passenger Standards Authority will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council.

The public consultation on the railways bill closed in April 2025 and explored options for a new passenger watchdog. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course. As with any public body, the appropriate rules for appointments will be followed. We would therefore expect the new watchdog to be included on the Public Appointments Order in Council; and, for appointments to the board to be subject to the governance code on public appointments and regulated by the commissioner for public appointments.

Whether she has made an assessment of Network Rail's compliance with his Department's guidance entitled Rules on lobbying for Non-Departmental Public Bodies.

As a Non-Departmental Public Body, Network Rail is subject to Cabinet Office rules which prohibit attendance at party conferences and the use of consultancies for lobbying activities. I have received assurances from Network Rail that they adhere to the guidelines.

Whether she plans to review the civil resilience of Heathrow airport.

UK aviation operates in the private sector. Therefore, the resilience and contingency plans in place are the responsibility of the industry. However, we recognise the importance of aviation to critical national infrastructure, and our ability to travel and do business. The Energy Secretary has commissioned an urgent investigation which will help to build a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the recent incident at Heathrow, and the UK’s energy resilience more broadly, so that it’s prevented from ever happening again. Heathrow Airport has also announced an internal review by Ruth Kelly, former Transport Secretary and an independent member of Heathrow's board. This review will be presented to Heathrow’s board in May.

Whether appointments to Great British Railways will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the Chair will be classified as a Significant Appointment.

After the Railways Bill is scrutinised by Parliament, and as part of the design of Great British Railways, we will consider whether to propose an amendment to the Public Bodies Order in Council. We expect that the GBR Chair will be classed as a significant appointment.Parliament will have an opportunity to scrutinise GBR’s duties when the bill is taken through Parliament later this session.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve trade links between Northern Ireland and the channel ports.

The Department for Transport is supporting Great Britain–Northern Ireland maritime freight connectivity through implementation of the Windsor Framework to streamline goods movement.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2024 to Question 19468 on Special Escort Group, on what statutory basis the police are able to (a) stop and direct traffic and (b) exceed speed limits in non-emergency situations.

Powers for police to stop and direct traffic are set out in sections 35, 37 and 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.The exemption for speed is set out in section 87(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The exemption to speed does not require there to be an emergency to apply; the relevant requirements are that:The vehicle is being used for police purposes, andCompliance with the speed limit would be likely to hinder the purpose to which the vehicle is being put at the relevant time.

What plans her Department has for the replacement of the overhead lines on the C2C train route.

The renewal of overhead lines on the c2c route will require significant investment. Network Rail is making plans to secure the funding in future control periods.

What steps she is taking to help tackle pavement parking.

In 2020, the Department undertook a public consultation on options for changing the way pavement parking is managed outside London. Our plan is to publish a formal response to the consultation, summarising the views received and announcing the Government’s next steps for pavement parking policy. The formal consultation response will be available to view at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking

With reference to his the Prime Minister’s comments on BBC Newscast on 12 October 2024, when did the Government's view on P&O change.

The Government has been working at pace to fulfil the commitments we made in opposition to improve workers’ rights at sea. The Employment Rights Bill includes a measure to close a loophole by ensuring that the UK Government is notified of intended redundancies irrespective of a vessel’s flag state. We will also, via amendment during the bill’s passage, introduce powers to allow the UK to strengthen workers’ rights at sea and implement international conventions relating to seafarer employment. We have now laid regulations to implement the Seafarers’ Wages Act so that from next month the National Minimum Wage equivalent will be paid.

What information her Department holds on the number and proportion of buses operating in London that were made in the UK.

The Department does not hold information on the number or proportion of buses operating in London that were made in the UK.