Written questions by Holden.

With reference to the recommendations of the Civil Justice Council's 2025 review, whether he plans to introduce legislation to clarify that third-party litigation funding agreements are not treated as damages-based agreements.

The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice and is committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help inform the approach to potential reforms. We are considering the report carefully and will outline next steps in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Chinese market dumping of (a) electric vehicles and (b) internal combustion engine vehicles on UK automotive sector.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including dumping.I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by dumped goods.While the Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices, and regularly engages with the automotive sector, I am not aware any application to the TRA at this time.

Whether she plans to reform the regulation of driving instructor training, including the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT), to introduce minimum entry standards and protect trainees from misleading training packages and unfair franchise contracts.

This year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) established the Car Driver Training and Testing Forum, which brings together trade and industry partners to work collaboratively on improving the driver instructor training and testing profession. The forum has created several improvement workstreams, one of which is exploring options for the future of the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT) scheme. DVSA does not regulate driving schools or franchise agreements; these remain private contractual matters between individuals and providers. However, DVSA provides guidance on this on GOV.uk at Driving instructor associations and organisations - GOV.UK, including the Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) register guide Approved driving instructor (ADI) register guide - GOV.UK. All potential ADIs sign a declaration confirming they have read and understood this guidance. While DVSA does not directly regulate franchise arrangements, the Agency encourages ADIs to join recognised ADI associations and organisations. These bodies are experienced in supporting instructors to make informed decisions about training and franchise agreements and ensure their interests are represented in industry discussions.

Further to the Point of Order of 30 October 2025, Official Report, Column 350-351, by the Right Hon Member for Basildon and Billericay, on Written Parliamentary Questions, if the Leader of the House will raise this issue with Ministers in the Department for Transport.

The government's position regarding the relationship between the treatment of requests for information through parliamentary questions and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 - as set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work - is unchanged.Following the Point of Order from the Hon. Member, I understand the Minister for Roads and Buses has written to him on this matter. The Department for Transport has issued an apology, provided the relevant information released through an FOI request and corrected the initial Written Parliamentary Question.More widely, I have written to all Members of Cabinet and spoken with Departmental Parliamentary Clerks to remind departments and Ministers about the importance of providing full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions.

How much local authorities made in profit from (a) traffic junction enforcement, (b) clean air zones and (c) congestion charging in 2024-25.

The Department for Transport does not hold this data.

Pursuant to the Answers of 20 October 2025 to Question 78714 and of 30 October 2025 to Question 84271 on Railways: Tickets, whether the Department considers current participation levels in the Digital Pay As You Go trials in (a) Yorkshire and (b) the East Midlands to be sufficient to draw conclusions about the scheme’s effectiveness.

The Digital Pay As You Go trials are an opportunity for passengers to test cutting-edge technology and benefit from simpler, more flexible tickets. We have had good engagement from passengers, with 2,214 participants signed up across the three live trials.The Department and delivery partners are pushing for as close to 1000 participants per trial as possible. We are working with Ipsos, an independent research agency, to effectively evaluate passenger views and participation rates of all trials. The findings from this evaluation will underpin Ministerial decisions on the next steps for any future schemes.

Whether the Valuation Office Agency's guidance entitled Practice Note 3: 2023: Major International and Regional Airports has been updated for the (a) 2026 business rates revaluation and (b) phasing out of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic.

The Valuation Office Agency's guidance will be updated for the 2026 revaluation and will be published when the Rating List is compiled on 1 April 2026.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77649 on Parking: Automatic Number Plate Recognition, whether the Government allows requests from (a) Patrol, (b) the British Parking Association and (c) the Local Government Association for the use of ANPR for civil parking enforcement in off-street parking; and if he will publish responses by his Department to representations made by those bodies on this issue since July 2024.

As stated in my response of 13 October to Question 77649, local authorities can use ANPR for civil parking enforcement. However, the Deregulation Act 2015 restricts the use of any surveillance technology by local authorities as the sole means of enforcing parking contraventions. In practice, this means that local authorities cannot issue Penalty Charge Notices by post following the detection of a parking contravention through surveillance technology, except in the limited circumstances set out in Regulation 10(2) of the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022.In addition to the use of ANPR by local authorities, the 2024 letter from Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL), the British Parking Association, and the Local Government Association raised other topics covering policy responsibilities of both the Department for Transport (DfT) and the MHCLG. At that time, my department issued a holding response, committing to provide a more substantive reply following a review of private parking charges. This response has not yet been provided as the department is still considering its response to the consultation on the Code of Practice for private parking which included proposals on private parking charges.

Whether she plans to publish a statement of financial relationship between Great British Railways and the Department for Transport, including arrangements with devolved administrations.

Relevant GBR financial information will be published in due course as officials continue to work with industry partners to ensure that the sector’s financial model is best placed to deliver change.

How much expenditure has been incurred for the new Network Rail clock design to date; and what is the budget for the programme as a whole.

Network Rail’s new clock design was the subject of an international competition launched in April 2023 under the previous Government. The winning team received £35,000 for the purchase of the Intellectual Property rights to the design, and runners up shared an additional £35,000. Installation of the one-off clock at London Bridge cost Network Rail £120,000 and is the largest circular digital screen on the UK rail network – sized to provide clear visibility for 200,000 passengers passing it each day. The rollout of the clock to other stations has been delivered as part of a wider programme of accessibility and inclusivity upgrades to customer information systems, costing Network Rail £330,000. Network Rail do not have a separated estimate of cost for the specific clock element of this.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84275, how much highways maintenance funding was provided to local authorities in aggregate in real terms in each year since 2019-20, including 2025-26.

Funding YearTotal in real terms (2024 to 2025 millions of £)Total in cash terms (millions of £)2019 to 20201,5751,2782020 to 20212,0171,7222021 to 20221,6361,4002022 to 20231,5121,3852023 to 20241,7991,7352024 to 20251,5351,5352025 to 20261,912*1,963Total11,98611,018 The above table includes highways maintenance capital funding from the Department for Transport, including the Highways Maintenance Block, Integrated Transport Block, Potholes Funding, Network North, the Local Transport Grant, and highways funding that has been consolidated into City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) between 2022/23 to 2024/25. The figures also include funding from the Pothole Action Fund, the Wet Weather Resilience Fund, and the Traffic Signals Maintenance Scheme. The £226 million Local Transport Grant of 2025/26 is for local transport and maintenance more widely. Integrated Transport Block funding is for local transport maintenance and enhancements. *For 2025/26, the figures are exclusive of baseline highways maintenance funding and Integrated Transport Block funding that has been consolidated into CRSTS funding. The Department has not split out how much of this funding is for highways maintenance as, by the nature of the funding, it is consolidated transport funding for local authorities to decide how best to use. The real terms figure provided for 2025/26 would thus be higher if it were possible to include these figures. These figures are presented in real terms and adjusted for inflation using 2024-25 prices. GDP deflators as of 30 September 2025 were used.

What meetings her Department has held with motorcycling organisations on the forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy; and if she will recognise motorcycling as a means of transport for access to work and education.

The Department has conducted extensive engagement with stakeholders and members of the public to inform the strategy and has heard directly from motorcyclists and motorcycle representative groups including Motorcycle Action Group through our Call for Ideas and Regional Roadshow. The insights gathered through our engagement activities have been analysed and are directly informing the strategy as it continues to evolve. Officials also met bilaterally with the Motorcycle Action Group on 29 August 2025 to respond to a range of matters of concern to motorcyclists which included an update on the development of the strategy. An update was also provided at the most recent meeting of the officials led Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on 15 September, chaired by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84267 on the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service, what direct financial or in-kind support her Department currently provides to NaVCIS; whether she has assessed the adequacy of its industry-funded model for tackling organised HGV and freight theft; and whether she plans to allocate public funding to support that Service in the 2026-27 financial year.

As noted in response to question 84267, the Government does not fund the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) and has no plans to do so.NaVCIS is funded by industry to provide dedicated specialist intelligence and enforcement. However we have regular discussions with key policing partners, including the NPCC, NaVCIS and Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for organised acquisitive crime, about the best ways to tackle organised freight crime.

What meetings her Department has held with motorcycling organisations on the forthcoming Road Safety Strategy; and if she will announce measures to support motorcycle safety.

The National Motorcyclists Council attended a Ministerial road safety roundtable on 7 October 2024 which commenced external engagement on a future road safety strategy. Officials met bilaterally with the Motorcycle Action Group on 29 August 2025 to respond to a range of matters of concern to motorcyclists which included a brief update on the development of the Road Safety Strategy. An update was also provided at the most recent meeting of the officials led Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group on 15 September, chaired by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Pursuant to the answer of 31 October 2025, to Question 84335, on Electric Vehicles: Grants, which Chinese firms have received funding under the scheme in 2025-26.

The Department cannot provide breakdown of orders per individual manufacturer due to commercial sensitivity. A list of vehicles eligible for grant support is available on Gov.UK.

With reference to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question HL11224 on Railways: Wifi, if she will publish that analysis.

The analysis of the costs and benefits of both Low Earth Orbit satellite technology and trackside infrastructure was conducted in the context of the Spending Review and was about prioritisation of potential projects and programmes. We would not ordinarily release this to protect the commercial interests of government and its suppliers. However, we are preparing a Business Case for LEO which we will publish in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84703 on Transport: Research, how many bids by UK academics to the NSF–UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity her Department has supported with letters of endorsement since that scheme’s launch.

Since the launch of the National Science Foundation – UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity, the Department for Transport has provided one letter of support for a bid by UK academics. The scheme is administered by UK Research and Innovation, and the Department is not routinely involved in the application process.

What the timetable is for the approval and delivery of Lower Thames Crossing in light of the change of responsibilities for the project.

As with all Tier 1 projects, the Lower Thames Crossing is governed and funded by Government, with delivery by National Highways. The Development Consent Order was approved in March 2025 and enabling works will begin this year. Government is exploring funding options, including private finance, to support mid 2030s completion.

Which bodies Great British Railways will be statutorily required to consult when proposing service or infrastructure changes.

Government is bringing track and train together in Great British Railways (GBR), which will be a directing mind able to take long-term strategic decisions to make the best use of the network and which will deliver benefits for passengers, freight users and taxpayers. GBR will set out their plans for passenger services and infrastructure in an Integrated Business Plan, which the Secretary of State will approve. When GBR proposes to update its business plan, under the Railways Bill it will be required to consult the Office of Rail and Road and Passenger Watchdog, as well as seek approval from the Secretary of State. This will ensure that there is expert, third party scrutiny on proposed material updates before delivery changes.

What consultation her Department has undertaken with vehicle manufacturers and the wider automotive industry on the proposed changes to Employee Car Ownership Schemes, including the number of meetings held since July 2024; and whether the figures used to inform the proposed changes have been independently verified.

At Budget 2025, the government announced that, to allow more time for the sector to prepare for and adapt to the proposed changes in treatment to Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS), its implementation will be delayed to 6 April 2030, with transitional arrangements until April 2032. The tax impact and information notice (TIIN) has been updated to reflect the impact of the changes on the automotive industry. You can find the TIIN here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-employee-car-ownership-schemes-for-income-tax/changes-to-employee-car-ownership-schemes-ecos The government maintains regular engagement with vehicle manufacturers and the wider automotive industry. The costing has been certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility.