Written questions by Holden.

With reference to Rule H1 of the Highway Code, a) what assessment she has made of whether the hierarchy of road users alters expectations of legal responsibility in collisions involving motorists; b) whether her Department has undertaken any analysis of how the rule has been interpreted by insurers, police forces, or the courts; and c) whether guidance has been issued to clarify that motorists do not carry automatic presumption of fault under the hierarchy.

The previous government did not initiate any assessment of the impact of Rule H1 following their introduction of the rule in 2022.Rule H1 of the Highway Code is an advisory rule. Although failure to comply with the advisory rules of the Highway Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, contraventions of these rules may be used as evidence in court to establish liability for a road traffic offence. Advisory rules include those which begin ‘should/should not’ and ‘do/do not’.All road users are required to comply with road traffic law, in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users. If road users do not adopt a responsible attitude or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment, or causes nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences that can make them liable for prosecution.Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.

Whether a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder can in itself qualify a person for a concessionary bus pass under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme; and what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on eligibility for neurodivergent people whose autism substantially affects their ability to travel independently but who do not qualify for Personal Independence Payment.

The disabled eligibility criteria are set out in Section 146 of the Transport Act 2000. While autism is not included in this list, individuals with autism may be eligible for a concessionary bus pass if they meet certain criteria related to their condition or its functional impact. The Department recognises that sometimes this can be hard to determine, especially for non-visible disabilities. To support local authorities in determining eligibility, the Department maintains guidance on assessing the eligibility of disabled applicants. This includes examples of where entitlement may be considered automatic based on receipt of state benefits and related documentary evidence, to help make the process more straightforward for both applicants and local authorities.

How many Blue Badges are currently issued and valid, broken down by local authority.

As of March 2024, there were 2,837,000 valid Blue Badges in circulation across England. Information regarding breakdown by local authority can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/blue-badge-scheme-statistics-data-tables-dis.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107774, if she will publish the specialist advice provided by the National Protective Security Authority and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office on Hostile Vehicle Mitigation.

Comprehensive advice and guidance relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is freely available online. It can be accessed via the ProtectUK platform (https://www.protectuk.police.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm) or via the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) website https://www.npsa.gov.uk/specialised-guidance/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvmThese pages provide information and guidance regarding vehicle borne threats, the wide range of HVM measures available, and provide detailed information regarding operational and technical considerations to reduce vulnerability from vehicle borne threats.The NPSA website also provides signposting to a suite of HVM products and counter-measures and is kept up to date with best practice advice regarding their deployments and integration into wider protective security considerations.

A) whether she has considered adopting a practical in-flight colour vision assessment model, such as the Aviation Operational Colour Vision Assessment used by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia, b) what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of introducing an operational colour vision assessment in the UK, and c) whether she plans to consult the Civil Aviation Authority on implementing a practical colour vision flight test.

Pilot colour vision testing is an issue that is considered by aviation authorities across the world. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is in discussion with national aviation authorities, including the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), about developments in this area including the use of operational assessments and determining their safety and effectiveness. The CAA has worked with City University, London, to develop the colour assessment and diagnosis (CAD) test and this has allowed them to pass 35% of applicants with a colour vision deficiency, including some who failed the lantern tests used previously. An independent analysis reported that only the CAD test and anomaloscopes (when used correctly) have 100% sensitivity and specificity when assessing colour vision. While other aviation authorities, including the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), are starting to use operational assessments, this is as part of a wider suite of tests. The CAA only accepts CAD testing for advanced colour vision testing, in the absence of evidence published in peer review literature regarding the effectiveness of operational assessments. CAD testing is easier to deploy than operational assessments and there is agreement among several aviation authorities that operational assessments need to be properly validated and compared with current methods for colour vision testing. The CAA recognises that colour vision testing is an important matter for the pilot community and are committed to reviewing the safety evidence as it emerges. The priority remains to ensure that we are satisfied with the safety implications of any potential assessment solutions.

Whether her Department provides guidance to blind and partially sighted people who are unable to cycle or drive.

The government is committed to improving transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity, including for blind and partially sighted people. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure public transport is accessible to all. Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops and mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff. We are also requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publication of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are equally committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers on rail services and that is why we published the Department’s roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. The Railways Bill will also establish a Passenger Watchdog, protecting the rights of disabled passengers by monitoring service delivery, investigating persistent issues, and advocating for improvements. We are also continuing to install accessible routes at stations through our Access for All programme and have completed a programme to install platform edge safety tactiles on every platform in the country. The government recognises that pavement parking is also an issue that resonates deeply with communities across the country. The impact is felt by many; particularly people living with sight-loss, mobility or sensory disabilities, older adults, parents with young children, and anyone who relies on safe, accessible pavements to move around independently. We are taking forward a new, devolved approach to pavement parking, reflecting our commitment to decisions being made closer to the communities they affect. Local leaders understand their community best and are therefore in the strongest position to meet local needs effectively. The measures the government is taking forward support our commitment to improve transport users’ experience, ensuring that our roads and pavements are safe, reliable, and inclusive.The Department also provides advice to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England on the steps they can take to improve the accessibility of services. This recommends mandatory disability awareness training for drivers and sets out recommendations to make reporting of incidents of alleged discrimination straightforward, with authorities expected to investigate thoroughly and take effective action. It also recognises the specific challenges that visually impaired passengers may face when providing evidence of incidents and advises licensing authorities to accept appropriate audio or video evidence and, where relevant, seek information from operators and partner agencies. The guidance also encourages authorities to explore more accessible payment options, such as ‘talking’ meters or more accessible card readers. Further, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently being considered by the House of Lords, seeks to provide a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations requirements that must be met for any taxi or private hire vehicle licence to be issued and held.The provision of accessible transport services, including for blind and partially sighted people, also requires a strong impetus from transport providers. We would expect transport authorities and operators to play their part in delivering this service – by communicating with their passengers, including about the accessibility measures they provide to encourage use. To build on this, we are committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers. The Department also provides other support to allow blind and partially sighted passengers to travel including through the blue badge scheme and concessionary travel on public transport.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111451, whether her Department has undertaken a comparative assessment of changes to aviation passenger taxes in other European countries, including recent reductions in such taxes in Sweden and Germany; and what assessment she has made of the impact on the competitiveness of UK airports of (a) recent increases in Air Passenger Duty and (b) increases in business rates affecting the aviation sector.

The government is committed to the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK and recognises the benefits of the connectivity it creates between the UK and the rest of the world. The Government is clear that APD is an appropriate tax that ensures airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances, particularly given that tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, including with regards to the international context The government introduced a transitional relief scheme to support all businesses, which airports will benefit from. We have also published a Call for Evidence exploring concerns airports have raised around the 'Receipts and Expenditure' valuation methodology and its impact on long-term investment. To provide long term predictability and stability for the sector, the Government has published a Call for Evidence exploring concerns airports and a small number of other ratepayers have raised around the ‘Receipts & Expenditure’ valuation methodology and its impacts on long-term, high value investments. Through this call for evidence, the government will seek to address issues raised ahead of the 2029 revaluation.

What proportion of the Government estate is managed by the Government Property Agency; which departments, arm’s-length bodies or property portfolios lie within its direct management responsibilities; and what the Government Property Agency’s total expenditure was in 2024–25 on measuring, collecting, reporting or validating greenhouse gas emissions in respect of the parts of the estate for which it is responsible.

Fifty-three per cent (2023/24 53 per cent) of the central government office portfolio, covering c.1,100,000 sqm has been transferred to the Government Property Agency. The Agency provides portfolio services to the following Government departments: Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration ServiceAttorney General’s OfficeCabinet OfficeCare Quality CommissionCompanies HouseCrown Commercial ServiceCrown Prosecution ServiceDepartment for Business & TradeDepartment for EducationDepartment for Energy, Security and Net ZeroDepartment for Culture Media and SportDepartment of Health & Social CareGovernment Actuary’s DepartmentMinistry of Housing Communities & Local GovernmentDisclosure & Barring ServicesNorthern Ireland OfficeThe Insolvency ServiceForeign & Commonwealth OfficeHM Land RegistryHM TreasuryFood Standards AgencyGreat British NuclearMinistry of JusticeNational Savings & InvestmentsOffice of the Public GuardianOfQual The GPA calculates greenhouse gas emissions for office space occupied by GPA staff and provides utility consumption data for departments occupying other buildings within its managed estate. As this activity is performed by staff as part of their wider duties, the exact amount of time allocated to this specific activity is not centrally recorded.

A) What estimate her Department has made of i) the average retail price of vehicles eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant, and ii) the proportion of new electric vehicles currently on sale that qualify for the full grant; b) what assessment she has made of regional variation in EV uptake rates since July 2024, and c) what estimate she has made of the average household income of grant recipients.

Preliminary data on vehicles ordered and delivered to customers since grant launch show that the median purchase price of a vehicle eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) banding before the grant is applied is £24,009.88. Based on registration data for December 2025, 5% of new electric vehicles registered in that month received £3,750 through the ECG. The Government is committed to continued EV uptake across the UK and is working closely with devolved and local governments to achieve this. Data on licenced ultra-low emission vehicles across regions since July 2024 is at this link:https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F696641a38d599f4c09e1fff7%2Fveh0132.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK Household income is not assessed or recorded as part of grant eligibility for end customers.

Whether his Department has considered reinstating voltage optimisation technologies in the Energy Saving Materials framework.

DESNZ has not considered reinstating voltage optimisation technologies in the Energy Saving Materials framework due to limitations in the performance of the technology. Voltage optimisers work by reducing the voltage to close to the lower permitted limit of 216.2V. Devices such as electric fires and incandescent lamps lower their energy consumption at lower voltages but also work less well – being less effective at heating or lighting. Power controlled devices such as LED lighting, heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers do not lower their energy consumption, and for these, voltage optimisers are ineffective.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on formally assessing Eastern European and Asian countries as potential strategic partners for UK bus and coach manufacturing supply chains.

My officials work closely with Business and Trade officials, including through the work of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 110088, how many staff in total have been recruited into DFT Operator Limited (DFTO) on a headcount basis since 1 January 2024; and what the net change in total headcount at DFTO has been in each quarter from January 2024 to the most recent quarter for which figures are available.

The table below sets out the number of employees recruited from January 2024 and the change to net employee headcount per quarter for DFT Operator Limited (DFTO). The increases in headcount are as a result of the progressive public ownership programme managed by DFTO. The increase in staff costs are being offset by the savings in fees that would otherwise be payable to the former private sector owners. QuarterEmployees recruitedEmployees leftTotal headcountNetchangeQ1 202441143Q2 202461195Q3 2024112289Q4 20241003810Q1 20252215921Q2 20251707617Q3 202531410327Q4 202526612320Q1 2026(as of 3/3/26)27614421

Whether her Department has defined quantitative benchmarks for determining whether private sector delivery of public electric vehicle chargepoints is sufficient to meet the 2030 target.

An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: The National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 to a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. The Department has not defined quantitative benchmarks for the private sector, though we closely monitor electric vehicle charger rollout and publish public charger statistics monthly. Statistics include publicly and privately funded public chargers. We support uptake through targeted grants and funding and regularly engage with local authorities and the private sector on progress. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund requires local authorities to complete quarterly reporting of charger delivery.

A) how many full or partial weekend closures affecting London Liverpool Street services have occurred since July 2024; b) what assessment she has made of the economic impact of weekend engineering works on commuters and businesses in eastern England; and c) what steps her Department is taking to improve network resilience during major engineering works.

It is very rare to close Liverpool Street on a weekend for longer than 27 hours and not on a Saturday. Network Rail will occasionally consider closing the full station on a Sunday as, with train operators, they can offer alternative travel options into London for passengers. However, there have been some full weekend closures of Liverpool Street station because of extensive eight-day engineering blocks undertaken over Christmas 2024 and 2025 to carry out major roof renovations at the station. Note that on these occasions, services terminated at Stratford, with connections into the Liverpool Street area available. Network Rail analyses routes across the whole of the UK to minimise disruption to critical passenger and freight flows such as those to London Gateway and Felixstowe reducing the impact to a minimum as practically as possible. Network Rail plans major engineering works to coincide with expected low overall passenger demand (for example, by not planning works on popular seaside routes in mid-Summer). Network Rail aims to maintain operational resilience, to minimise disruption, and to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of major engineering works, and timely completion of those works.

What estimate her Department has made of the proportion of cyclist injury collisions that occur (a) at and (b) in the vicinity of bus stops; and whether evidence supports the association of cyclist collisions with bus stop design.

There is no national estimate of cyclist injury collisions occurring at or near bus stops. National collision data does not routinely identify bus-stop locations, and non-fatal cycling injuries are significantly under-reported, making precise calculations difficult. Cyclists face substantial injury risk when mixing with motor traffic. In 2024, there were 14,549 cyclist casualties on Great Britain’s roads (82 killed, 3,822 seriously injured), the overwhelming majority involving motor vehicles. Active Travel England and the Department is undertaking further research, reporting in 2027, to strengthen the evidence base on the safety, accessibility and user experience relating to Floating Bus Stops.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of imports of (a) maize, (b) oilseed rape, (c) ethanol and (d) wheat on UK farmers and domestic markets.

Imports supplement domestic production and ensure any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease do not affect the UK's overall security of food supply. The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market where the value of commodities is established by those in the supply chain. For cereals crops produced domestically, including wheat, barley, oats, and oil seed, the UK has continuously been over 80% self-sufficient in domestic production for the past 20 years. In 2023, estimates indicate 76% of the crop-derived bioethanol for road transport originated from crops grown outside the UK. An estimated 24% originated from crops grown in the UK, which was mainly made up of bioethanol derived from UK-grown wheat. From recent UK supply and demand estimates produced by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, data suggests a competitive demand for domestic feed grains has been offsetting maize imports. Defra does not maintain any estimates of expected levels of imports over the coming years. The level of imports will vary from year to year depending on market needs and disruption to domestic production.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission report by the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, Understanding electoral fraud vulnerability in Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin communities in England, published 2015, whether the Electoral Commission has made an assessment of the potential impact of levels of first cousin marriage on levels of electoral fraud.

The report referenced, “Understanding electoral fraud vulnerability in Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin communities in England”, was an independent academic report prepared for the Electoral Commission. It does not represent the Commission’s views. The Commission has not assessed the impact of first cousin marriage on electoral fraud.‘Electoral fraud’ is used to refer to cases where someone has committed, or is alleged to have committed, specific electoral law offences. Although the UK has very low levels of proven electoral fraud, the Commission takes this issue seriously and knows from its public opinion research that it concerns some voters. Fraud, and the perception of fraud, undermines democracy and weakens the UK’s strong tradition of free and fair elections.The Commission does not have a direct role in investigating allegations of electoral fraud; this is carried out by the police.The Commission does have an important role in tackling electoral fraud and ensuring safeguards are in place across the electoral community. The Commission collects and publishes data from police forces across the UK on allegations of electoral fraud, so that the public has transparency over these figures. The Commission runs a campaign aimed at raising awareness of and helping prevent electoral fraud, in partnership with Crimestoppers.

What discussions she has had with National Highways, police and regional road safety partnerships on the suspension of motorway camera enforcement arising from technical faults; if she will publish a) interim guidance issued to enforcement bodies and b) any assessment of road safety risks during the outage period; and what steps she is taking to ensure resilience against future system failures.

The Department has worked closely with National Highways, the Home Office and the police to respond to a technical anomaly affecting some speed cameras on a limited number of motorways and A-roads. National Highways always keeps safety issues under review, and undertook a comprehensive safety assessment in this case. National Highways do not routinely publish these assessments.The public must have confidence in technology on our roads, which is why we have announced an independent review into how the anomaly occurred, its handling, and the changes needed to ensure this cannot happen again.

Whether the proposed Great British Railways ticketing website and mobile application will be (a) built upon existing industry retail systems and (b) a newly developed retail platform owned and operated by Great British Railways.

Once Great British Railways (GBR) is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail. Further information about the approach to GBR’s future ticket retailing website and app will be made available in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to councils on higher parking fees for heavier vehicles.

No such guidance has been issued. Local authorities are best placed to determine requirements for their own area.