Written questions by Niblett.

If he will bring forward proposals to require a single mandatory standard and enforcement regime to apply equally to highway authorities, their contractors, and statutory undertakers for all road and street works on the UK road network, including workmanship, reinstatement quality, inspections, and penalties.

A strong framework already applies to utilities, contractors and highway authorities, including national reinstatement standards, permit schemes, and performance‑based inspections introduced in 2023, which ensure poor performers face more frequent inspections and associated charges. Recent regulations, in force from January 2026, further strengthen enforcement by increasing penalties for overruns and improving compliance. We will continue to keep the regime under review.

With reference to the January 2026 Road Traffic Strategy, when she plans to publish the manual for streets.

The Department intends to publish an updated version of the Manual for Streets before the end of 2026.

What research her Department is undertaking into developing alternative vehicle fuels, such as synthetic and bio fuels.

In recognition of their established carbon reduction benefits the Government supports the use of low carbon fuels in surface transport vehicles through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) scheme. Under the scheme the supply of synthetic fuels and biofuels produced from renewable inputs is eligible for support, where these low carbon fuels meet stringent sustainability criteria. Whilst my Department does not generally undertake its own research into developing alternative vehicle fuels, it does periodically fund specific research studies to inform policy development and the deployment of such fuels. A recent example is a study on higher bio content fuel deployment in heavy-duty transport, the outputs of which were published online in August 2025. Additionally, the Department provides funding for latter stage development and deployment of hydrogen, a synthetic fuel, through the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) and the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programmes.

Whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure people using mobility scooters (class 2) have the right to ride on all buses.

The Department is committed to delivering a transport network which puts passengers and their needs at its heart. We want to see disabled passengers able to make the journeys they want and need, and we recognise the importance of mobility scooters in supporting them to do so easily, confidently and with dignity.When it comes to using them on public transport, however, not all mobility scooters are suitable for carriage in every situation. Currently, buses and coaches used on local services must incorporate a wheelchair space and a ramp or lift suitable for a standard “reference wheelchair”. While we encourage individual operators to also allow passengers with mobility scooters to board, it is important that they do so only where it would be safe for the mobility scooter user and other passengers alike, and any such allowance remains at the operators’ discretion. The Department has collaborated with the Confederation of Passenger Transport to create the Mobility Scooter Code of Practice, aiming to provide a consistent approach for assessing which mobility scooters should be accepted, and for training their users to board and alight safely. Many operators have signed up for the scheme, allowing mobility scooter users who hold a relevant permit to be confident that they can travel with their mobility aid on any service provided by a signatory operator. We currently have no plans to mandate the acceptance of mobility scooters on all bus services.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. Details of which are available on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvsa-sets-out-plan-to-reduce-driving-test-waiting-times). On 23 April, the Secretary of State announced further action that the government is taking to reduce driving test wait times. Details of these measures have also been published on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-acts-to-make-thousands-of-extra-driving-tests-available-each-month).

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing drink driving laws in ensuring that repeat offenders cannot reoffend.

There is a High-Risk Offender (HRO) scheme for those who have been disqualified by a Court for 2 or more drink driving offences within a 10 year period. Currently, the practical consequence of becoming a drink drive HRO is that the driver’s licence is not automatically re-issued once the period of disqualification has ended. Instead, the HRO must apply for a new licence and the DVLA will only issue a licence after the HRO has proved their medical fitness to drive. The HRO scheme has thus served an important role in helping to keep unsafe drivers off the roads. The Drink Drive Rehabilitation (DDR) scheme has been found to be effective in preventing offenders committing repeat drink driving offences. Successful completion of the approved course can see a reduction of not less than 3 months or 25% of the disqualification period imposed by the Court. This gives the offender an incentive to participate in the scheme, with beneficial outcomes to society by reduced re-offending.

What steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in (a) South Derbyshire constituency and (b) the East Midlands.

The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. East Midlands Combined County Authority have been allocated £40.5 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area, including South Derbyshire. In total, Local Transport Authorities across the East Midlands have been allocated £81 million of this funding. The government also launched its plan to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy which will set the long-term vision for transport in England to better serve all people who use it, including those in South Derbyshire and across the East Midlands.

What steps she is taking to help reduce road traffic incidents in South Derbyshire constituency.

Since the general election, the Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will share more details in due course. Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the Local Authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act.

What steps she is taking to improve access to public transport in rural communities in (a) Derbyshire and (b) the UK.

Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this parliamentary session, which will put decision-making into the hands of local leaders across England, including in rural areas. This will allow local areas to determine how best to design their bus services so that they have control over routes and schedules. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. East Midlands Combined County Authority has been allocated £40.5 million.