Written questions by Holden.

How many driving examiner vacancies existed in (a) January 2026 and (b) February 2026.

As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background.The use of the GOV.UK instructor page is primarily intended to provide information and services for approved driving instructors, however, all driving examiner vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on the GOV.UK website and DVSA also publishes information about available career opportunities through its “Working for DVSA” pages on GOV.UK. DVSA does not hold centrally a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response to customer demand and operational need. Recruitment is managed through ongoing and periodic national and regional campaigns rather than fixed monthly vacancy totals.As part of this approach, DVSA has continued to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners, including a campaign launched in February 2026 advertising multiple driving examiner posts across the country. These campaigns are intended to address recruitment pressures and improve driving test capacity, particularly in areas with the greatest demand.

Whether DVSA has considered using the GOV.UK instructor page as a recruitment channel.

As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a driving instructor background.The use of the GOV.UK instructor page is primarily intended to provide information and services for approved driving instructors, however, all driving examiner vacancies are publicly advertised on Civil Service Jobs on the GOV.UK website and DVSA also publishes information about available career opportunities through its “Working for DVSA” pages on GOV.UK. DVSA does not hold centrally a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response to customer demand and operational need. Recruitment is managed through ongoing and periodic national and regional campaigns rather than fixed monthly vacancy totals.As part of this approach, DVSA has continued to run national recruitment campaigns for driving examiners, including a campaign launched in February 2026 advertising multiple driving examiner posts across the country. These campaigns are intended to address recruitment pressures and improve driving test capacity, particularly in areas with the greatest demand.

How much funding has been allocated to railways in Wales for Welsh Rail Enhancements for (a) UK Government Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) - or equivalent and (b) Core Valley Lines enhancement funding paid to the Welsh Government, in each of the past 5 years.

Rail enhancement investment in Wales is detailed below. UKG Enhancements comprise funding from the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline and the Levelling Up Fund. YearUKG EnhancementsCVL Enhancement Funding paid to Welsh Goverment2020/21£16 million£141 million2021/22£10 millionnil2022/23£12 millionnil2023/24£21 millionnil2024/25£32 millionnilThe Funding and Outputs Agreement (2018), between the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers, committed the UK Government to contribute £125m in 2014 prices to the costs of the Core Valley Lines infrastructure enhancement scheme. An agreed inflated figure of £141.25 million was implemented as a budget transfer to the Welsh Government in financial year 2020/21. UKG Enhancement spend for 2023/24 comprised £19 million from RNEP and £2 million from LUF. UKG Enhancement spend for 2024/25 comprised £30.5 million from RNEP and £1.5 million from LUF.

How many referrals to DVSA Driving Examiner roles have been made via Jobcentre Plus under the pilot scheme in each of the six priority locations; how many of those referrals have resulted in (i) attendance at a one day assessment centre and (ii) appointment to a role; what performance indicators have been set to assess the success of the pilot; and when the Department expects to decide whether to expand the scheme to additional locations.

We are currently in the process of making referrals for these roles. Each location has the capacity to have 16 customers referred. Assessments will take place on 16 March (Slough & Southampton), 17 March (Tottenham & Bletchley) and 19 March (Bedford & Bromley).

What criteria DVSA used to designate Bedford, Bletchley, Bromley, Slough, Southampton and Tottenham as priority sites for the Driving Examiner recruitment pilot; what the average driving test waiting time and examiner vacancy rate was at each site at the time of designation; and on what date each site was selected.

DVSA identified priority locations that had 5 or more live vacancies and provided the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with a list. Following their external recruitment drive in January 2026, DVSA advised DWP that some of the locations initially identified were no longer considered high priority due to roles being filled. From the remaining sites on the list those chosen were where DVSA have managers with the flexibility to carry out assessments as part of the Driving Examiner recruitment pilot.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115442, what his evidential basis is that linking the UK Emissions Trading Scheme with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will minimise administrative burdens for operators and support economic growth and decarbonisation.

Linking the UK and EU emissions trading schemes is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the UK, including a cheaper path towards decarbonisation by providing businesses with access to a larger, more stable and liquid carbon market which will help support investment in low-carbon technologies. Linking would also lower costs and lower barriers to trade for UK businesses by creating the conditions for mutual CBAM exemptions. Consultation responses from maritime stakeholders have largely supported alignment of requirements across the two schemes to reduce the administrative burden for operators participating in both schemes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115060, what examples her Department has identified of (a) decarbonisation of road maintenance operations and (b) preventative lower-carbon treatments referred to in Metric 9 of the Methodology used to calculate ratings for local road maintenance; and if she will publish the evidential basis for their inclusion in that metric.

Examples of activities relevant under this metric include the more efficient management of vehicle movements to both increase operational efficiency and cut carbon emissions. They also include the greater adoption of preventative road surface treatments, such as preservation, rejuvenation or surface dressing. These techniques keep roads in good condition for longer and prevent potholes, while also reducing carbon emissions and costs. The Local Government Association published guidance for local highway authorities last year, which provides an overview of different road resurfacing techniques and sets out the benefits of preventative techniques in terms of higher value for money, reduced disruption to residents, and lower carbon emissions. The guidance is available online, at: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/improving-highways-maintenance-productivity.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 113833, what consideration her Department has given to introducing a national standard definition of a pothole, including minimum size and safety thresholds.

The Well‑managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, which is in the process of being updated, advises that local highway authorities should use a risk‑based approach when assessing and repairing defects. The Code does not define a national pothole size or threshold; instead, it recommends that each authority determine its own intervention criteria based on local circumstances, usage and risk. This reflects the fact that local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended) to maintain the highways network in their area.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many pet microchip databases are authorised for use in England; what regulatory oversight she exercises over (i) pricing structures, (ii) subscription models and (iii) data access arrangements operated by microchip database providers; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of commercial microchip database operators on animal welfare and pet theft prevention; and whether she has considered establishing a statutory framework to require (a) interoperability and (b) a mandatory central lookup facility across approved databases.

Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has increased from four to 24. While this gives consumers more choice, it has made it harder for authorised users to access records quickly. Defra is working with the Association of Microchip Database Operators (AMDO) to develop improvements to how the microchipping regime operates. AMDO is currently testing industry‑led solutions that will give authorised users digital access to database information through a single point of search. Pet microchipping databases are operated by commercial providers and Defra does not regulate how much they charge for their services. However, all compliant database operators must ensure that they can redirect an online request for a microchip record to the database operator that holds the record. Defra monitors compliance with these requirements and will act where a database operator is failing to meet them. Defra has not assessed the potential impact of the number of pet microchip databases on reunification times or enforcement under the Pet Abduction Act 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce a Central Microchip Portal to enable authorised users, including (i) veterinary professionals, (ii) local authorities, (iii) animal wardens and (iv) police forces, to conduct secure cross-database microchip lookups; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of separate pet microchip databases on (a) reunification times for lost and stolen pets and (b) enforcement under the Pet Abduction Act 2024.

Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has increased from four to 24. While this gives consumers more choice, it has made it harder for authorised users to access records quickly. Defra is working with the Association of Microchip Database Operators (AMDO) to develop improvements to how the microchipping regime operates. AMDO is currently testing industry‑led solutions that will give authorised users digital access to database information through a single point of search. Pet microchipping databases are operated by commercial providers and Defra does not regulate how much they charge for their services. However, all compliant database operators must ensure that they can redirect an online request for a microchip record to the database operator that holds the record. Defra monitors compliance with these requirements and will act where a database operator is failing to meet them. Defra has not assessed the potential impact of the number of pet microchip databases on reunification times or enforcement under the Pet Abduction Act 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115052, whether permitting (a) contractors to issue fixed penalty notices under bus byelaws for profit and (b) payment structures linked to the number of fines issued are being considered for the guidance for local transport authorities under the Bus Services Act 2025.

The guidance for local transport authorities on the byelaws provisions in the Bus Services Act 2025 is still being developed and will be published in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 114110, what information his Department holds on tyre procurement by its arm’s-length bodies, including NHS trusts and other agencies; and whether he plans to collect centrally data on the proportion of retread and single-use imported tyres procured for heavy vehicle fleets operated by those bodies.

The Department does not hold any information on tyre procurement by its arm’s length bodies and does not intend to collect data on the proportion of retread and single-use imported tyres by those bodies. NHS England reports that that emergency ambulances and rapid response vehicles used by National Health Service trusts, which are based on light commercial vehicle and car platforms, do not routinely utilise retread tyres. This reflects the demanding operational duty cycles associated with frontline emergency response, where vehicle reliability, performance, and safety are critical. As a result, these vehicles typically operate with new tyres in line with manufacturer guidance and operational requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 114105 on Tyres: Imports, what consideration her Department has given to using different codes; and whether her Department plans to implement different codes for single-use and other kinds of tyres.

The UK commodity codes are formed from the World Custom’s Organization’s (WCO) Harmonized System and, as a WCO contracting party, the UK has recently participated in WCO discussions about tyres. These are resulting in a change to code 4004, which will be introduced to cover “pneumatic tyres that have retained their original shape and are unsuitable for use as a tyre or for retreading because of wear, defects, or other reasons”, to be implemented in 2028.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115554 on Great British Railways: Finance, whether she plans to publish the (a) internal modelling, (b) business case documentation and (c) analytical assessments which informed the forecast that corporate initiatives under the Department’s Efficiency Plan will deliver net savings in 2028–29.

The Department has no plans to publish the internal modelling or initial business case development which informed the savings from corporate initiatives in the Department’s Efficiency Plan.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of remote access and deactivation capability in Chinese-manufactured electric buses on (a) cybersecurity and (b) publicly funded zero-emission bus procurement.

The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systemic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including electric buses. The Department works closely with the transport sector and other government department to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities for all transport modes. The department introduced two new regulations in November 2025: one to strengthen vehicle cybersecurity and one on software updates (UN Reg 155 and UN Reg 156). The cybersecurity regulation sets out requirements to mitigate potential threats in vehicle construction, to monitor emerging threats and to respond to cyber-attacks. The software updating regulation sets out requirements for upgrading software in a safe and secure manner, that is documented and the vehicle's user is fully informed throughout the process. As part of the National Security Strategy the government is also bolstering our cyber and economic security defences. For example, the national security powers in the Procurement Act 2023 allow the Government to exclude suppliers from public sector procurement, terminate their contracts and debar them from future ones. These powers target risk from individual suppliers – not specific countries – and will be used proportionately based on the threat posed. We are aware of recent reports from Norway concerning an electric bus manufacturer. Officials are investigating these, and the Transport Secretary will update the Transport Committee once the work is complete.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115062, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of increases in business rates on planned private sector investment in Channel Tunnel rail services.

The 2026 business rates revaluation, which is a continuing process, is a matter for the operationally independent Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA is due to publish its final ratings list this Spring.

What recent estimate she has made of the annual cost to police forces of (a) administering roadside drug-impairment tests and (b) drug-driving testing; what steps she is taking to reduce the per-test cost of such testing for police forces; and what funding and support is available to police forces to help reduce drug-driving without reducing the number of tests carried out.

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests and drug driving testing.Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.

Whether she has had discussions with the Prime Minister on the impact of floating bus stop designs on the ability of blind, disabled and older people to board and alight from buses independently.

Statutory guidance on the provision and design of floating bus stops was published on 26 January under section 31 of the Bus Services Act 2025, which was cleared across government in the usual way.

Whether an Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken in relation to the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Provision and Design.

Ahead of publishing the guidance on floating bus stops, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, I had due regard to impacts on people with protected characteristics, particularly disabled people, in making decisions regarding the guidance. This was supported by engagement with organisations representing disabled people and input from the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, the statutory advisory body on disability transport issues, and a statutory consultee for this guidance under the Bus Services Act 2025.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115048 on local road maintenance, what specific guidance was provided, and whether it included advice on the political composition of councils.

Advice was provided to ministers in line with standard procedures.