Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111444, whether her Department applies an economic test when determining whether costs are disproportionate to benefits for the purposes of assessing economic reasonableness under paragraph 4.5.12 of the draft amended National Policy Statement for Ports.

The process of determining whether costs are disproportionate to benefits does itself amount to an economic test.

What steps her Department is taking to mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks affecting transport services and infrastructure.

The Department for Transport (DfT) views the cyber security of its sector as a priority and works with partners across UK government and law enforcement to employ policy and legislative levers to drive cyber security resilience levels up. DfT is responsible for regulating cyber security in the transport sector, working with partners such as the Civil Aviation Authority to introduce relevant standards, guidance, and policy to ensure the cyber resilience of our essential services. We are supporting the Cyber Security & Resilience (Network & Information Systems) Bill currently going through Parliament which will strengthen our defences and ensure that more essential digital services than ever before are protected.

If she will publish a list of international flights undertaken by officials from her Department in the 2025 calendar year setting out the (a) destination, (b) date of travel, (c) number of officials travelling, (d) grade of those officials and (e) class of travel booked for each of those flights.

A supplementary Excel document has been provided to present the full dataset, as the level of detail requested cannot be appropriately conveyed within the main response. The response covers the central Department for Transport.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2026 to Question 113349, which Department is responsible for assessing the economic impact of passenger delays at UK border control points on tourism, aviation and wider business activity.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation

When she expects the reset of the High Speed Two programme to be completed.

The HS2 programme reset is underway and we are committed to updating parliament on progress on the reset in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112226, what information on airport kerbside drop-off charges is discussed with her Department as part of engagement with airports on surface access strategies.

As part of the Department’s engagement with airports, discussions cover a broad range of issues, including how passengers and staff travel to and from airports. However, the provision and charging of airport parking, including drop-off charges, is a commercial matter for each airport and the information on charges is publicly available through the airports’ own websites.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 17 of the report by the National Audit Office entitled Department for Transport overview 2024-25, published in November 2025, what the £478 million whole-life cost of the NO2 Programme comprises, by project, programme and local authority scheme; and how much of that cost has been spent to date.

The Department for Transport (DfT) spend on the NO2 Programme up to the end of financial year 2024/25 was £450m.

If he will amend the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Reviews of Sentencing) Order 2006 to include offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 within the scope of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme is an exceptional power. Any expansion of the scheme must be carefully considered.The Law Commission is currently undertaking a review of the law governing criminal appeals. As part of its public consultation, which ran from February to June 2025, the Commission sought views on a range of potential reforms to the ULS scheme, including whether additional offences, such as animal cruelty offences, should be brought within scope. The consultation closed in June 2025, and the Law Commission is expected to publish its final report in 2026.The Government will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations on possible reforms to the ULS scheme, including any proposals relating to offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, once the final report is published.

What steps her Department has taken to improve organisational capacity and capability within the transport sector to minimise the impact of industrial action.

The Government recognises the challenges that industrial action can cause to the public. Responsibility for managing its impact on rail services rests with train operating companies and Network Rail. As the sector moves towards Great British Railways, greater integration is expected to improve coordination and deliver better outcomes for passengers. The Government maintains regular and constructive engagement with maritime trade unions on seafarer rights, skills and training reform. Action is being taken to improve employment conditions for seafarers. The Employment Rights Act 2025 provides new powers to require higher standards on pay and safe working patterns, and implementing regulations will be introduced this year. Levels of industrial action in the maritime sector remain generally low. In disputes between private employers and their employees over terms and conditions, it is for the employer to resolve such matters. The Government expects transport operators, including bus and aviation operators, to take all reasonable steps to minimise disruption and ensure that passengers reliant on their services can continue to travel.

How the Government intends to ensure that learning from regulatory sandboxes, including the Maritime Regulatory Innovation Framework, is scaled up and translated into permanent regulatory or legislative change to support the wider deployment of autonomous and remotely operated maritime vessels.

The Department for Transport has led a sustained programme of work since 2018 to assess and prepare the UK’s maritime legislative framework for the safe and lawful operation of autonomous and remotely operated vessels. This has included the Maritime Autonomy Regulation Lab (MARLab), led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the Future of Transport Regulatory Review, which consulted publicly on the regulation of maritime autonomous surface ships and remote operations. Alongside this, Government has supported trials and deployment through introduction of a pilot remote operator training framework, new small vessel exemptions, and new certification routes, including Workboat Code 3, Annex 2. The experience and evidence gathered through these processes support broader regulatory development for Government. In addition, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency were a partner in the Maritime Regulatory Innovation Framework between 2023 and 2025, working with industry and other partners to develop and test a supporting framework alongside existing certification processes. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency remain engaged and will work with project partners for the next and final stages of the project as they seek to verify and validate the framework as a valuable alternative process to meet Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulatory processes and requirements. The Government intends to legislate when parliamentary time allows, informed by this evidence and the need to align with international standards.

What powers the Secretary of State has under the Pilotage Act 1987 to inspect, review or request information on the pilotage arrangements of competent harbour authorities; and whether those powers have been exercised since 2015.

There are powers outlined in Section 12 of the Pilotage Act 1987 which enable scrutiny of pilotage provision in circumstances where there are joint arrangements between Competent Harbour Authorities (CHAs), dockyard ports or other actors. These powers have not been exercised since 2015. Maritime pilotage has an excellent safety record in the UK. However, should there be an accident or incident involving a vessel under pilotage, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and/or the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have powers to scrutinise any records which pertain to the incident as part of their investigations.

How many and what proportion of buses are (a) zero-emission and (b) non-zero-emission.

Statistics on the number and proportion of zero‑emission and non‑zero‑emission buses are published in the Department for Transport’s Annual bus statistics, table BUS06e (Vehicles operated by local bus operators). The tables are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables.

Whether the Office for National Statistics plans to begin collecting data on the number of Parkinson’s specialist staff in England.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th March is attached.

If her Department will take steps (a) in this financial year and (b) in future financial years to help reduce the fee deficit of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency keeps its fees under continual review. Any changes to fee levels would be subject to public consultation and Parliamentary approval.

What work is being undertaken by her Department to identify cross-sector infrastructure interdependencies and single points of failure affecting the transport network.

Transport is one of the UK’s 13 Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors. Given the cross-sector infrastructure interdependencies, resilience across CNI, including transport, is critical to the UK. My department is taking forward work to deliver the transport implications of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published July 2025, recognising the complex and interdependent nature of our critical transport operations. This includes carrying out a Criticalities Review; working with partners across the transport sector and government to improve our understanding of the interdependencies and single points of failure affecting the transport network. This will enable us to develop robust and informed measures to mitigate the risks and build resilience within the system.Furthermore, as committed within the recently published Climate Adaptation Strategy for Transport, the department is developing guidance to support transport operators to identify their upstream interdependencies and the cascading failures associated with climate risks.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112684, in which month she plans to publish that response.

The Department has accepted all the recommendations of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) review and is looking to publish the Government’s response to the ORR review shortly.

Which aspects of primary maritime legislation her Department considers may require amendment to enable the safe and lawful operation of autonomous and remotely operated maritime vessels in UK waters; and what steps are being taken to introduce any changes.

The Department for Transport has led a sustained programme of work since 2018 to assess and prepare the UK’s maritime legislative framework for the safe and lawful operation of autonomous and remotely operated vessels. This has included the Maritime Autonomy Regulation Lab (MARLab), led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the Future of Transport Regulatory Review, which consulted publicly on the regulation of maritime autonomous surface ships and remote operations. Alongside this, Government has supported trials and deployment through introduction of a pilot remote operator training framework, new small vessel exemptions, and new certification routes, including Workboat Code 3, Annex 2. The experience and evidence gathered through these processes support broader regulatory development for Government. In addition, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency were a partner in the Maritime Regulatory Innovation Framework between 2023 and 2025, working with industry and other partners to develop and test a supporting framework alongside existing certification processes. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency remain engaged and will work with project partners for the next and final stages of the project as they seek to verify and validate the framework as a valuable alternative process to meet Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulatory processes and requirements. The Government intends to legislate when parliamentary time allows, informed by this evidence and the need to align with international standards.

How many officials in her Department have been transferred or seconded to DfT Operator Ltd since 4 July 2024; and how many further transfers are planned.

As at today’s date, there has been one member of staff seconded to DfT Operator Limited since 4 July 2024 and 210 staff are planned to transfer to DFT Operator on 1 April 2026.

How much her Department has spent on international flights for officials in her Department since 4 July 2024; and how many such flights were taken in (a) economy, (b) premium economy, (c) business class and (d) first class.

International flights since 4 July 2024:The central Department for TransportTotal SpendEconomy FlightsPremium Economy FlightsBusiness Class FlightsFirst Class FlightsNot specified £1,615,217.4019961141380-

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111457, how much was allocated from the capital property change budget for infrastructure installation costs related to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) 2024–25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) each year for the rest of the spending review.

Funding allocated from the Home Office capital property change budget for infrastructure installation costs associated with electric vehicle (EV) charging is as follows:2024–25 (actual): £503,0002025–26 (forecast): £604,0002026–27 (forecast): £1.3 million2027–28 (forecast): £1 million2028–29 (forecast): £1 millionThe allocations for 2027–28 and 2028–29 are currently indicative placeholder figures included within the existing project pipeline and may be subject to change. The current forecast allocation for 2026–27 remains £1.3 million. A review of the longer-term electric vehicle charging infrastructure delivery strategy for the remainder of the Spending Review period is ongoing.The Government has set a target for all vehicles in the central government fleet to be zero-emission by the end of 2027. This transition predominantly impacts operational vehicles used by Immigration Enforcement, Border Force and Border Security Command.To support this transition, Home Office Property Services has been commissioned to install EV charging infrastructure at Home Office buildings to enable the charging of electric fleet vehicles. The Electric Vehicle Charging Project (EVCP) was mobilised to deliver this infrastructure and is currently undertaking a strategic review to set priorities for the remainder of the Spending Review period.The costs covered by this funding include the design and installation of charging points, associated legal fees where landlord agreements are required, and enabling works with local electricity distribution network operators.