Written questions by Arthur.

What steps her Department is taking to improve access to concessionary bus travel for disabled people.

Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area so the administrative arrangements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from those in England. The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. Local authorities in England have the power to use local resources to fund further concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, for example, extending the times travel passes can be used. The government has confirmed over £1 billion 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. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish, including enhancing the concessionary travel offering for disabled people in the local area.

How many vintage cars were registered in Edinburgh in each year since 2010.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not capture information on whether a vehicle is classed as “vintage”. However, vehicles that were first registered or constructed more than 40 years ago may be able to be licensed in the “Historic Vehicle” taxation class and would be exempt from the payment of vehicle excise duty. The table below shows the number of cars licensed in the Historic Vehicle taxation class where the vehicle is registered to an address in Edinburgh. Information before 2021 is not available. YearTotal number of cars licensed in the Historic Vehicle tax class at the end of August of each year where the car is registered to an address in Edinburgh20211,92420222,02520231,97820242,18720252,237

What recent discussions she has had with motorway service station operators on the rollout of rapid electric vehicle charging stations across the strategic road network in England.

A reliable, accessible public charging network to support EV drivers on long journeys is essential to support the EV transition. The market has changed significantly since the Rapid Charging Fund was announced, with now over 6,000 open-access, rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints within one mile of the Strategic Road Network – more than quadrupling in the last three years (July 2022 – July 2025, Zapmap). We are adapting our approach to meet the needs of industry today. The recent Spending Review announced £400m for charging infrastructure, including to support charging on the Strategic Road Network. We will use lessons from the Rapid Charging Fund pilot and continue working with industry to target financial support where it is needed most.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable access to public electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) rural and (b) low-income urban areas.

Transport, including the rollout of public EV chargepoints, is largely devolved to the Scottish Government. However, my officials regularly engage with Transport Scotland on zero emission vehicle initiatives, including charging infrastructure development.In England, the allocation of the Local EV Infrastructure Fund took account of both levels of rurality and the index of multiple deprivation when calculating funding amounts.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing targeted fiscal incentives to support (a) small businesses and (b) community organisations in installing electric vehicle charging points.

The Government already offers targeted grant funding for local authorities, workplaces, small businesses, charities and public bodies. Grant funding can be used towards the purchase and installation of chargepoint infrastructure. The funding is available throughout the UK.

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on integrating electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) new housing developments and (b) public spaces.

In April 2023, the Department for Transport published guidance to support the installation of chargepoints in new housing developments, which includes answers to frequently asked questions. The Department also worked with the Institution for Engineering and Technology to publish a Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Local Authorities in December 2024, which covers key aspects of EV charging infrastructure installation, including process maps, site selection, installation, procurement, and operational management.

Whether she has considered introducing a national requirement for the PAS1899 accessibility standard for EV charging stations.

Earlier this year, the Government and Motability Foundation co-sponsored a review of the PAS 1899:2022 standards, and are looking to address challenges identified. The Government will continue to monitor the adoption of the standards and their impact on accessibility to assess the need for further measures.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport of 3 September 2025, Official Report, column 166WH, what the (a) cost, (b) terms of reference, (c) delivery schedule and (d) contractor was for the research she has commissioned on pavement parking.

My officials are in discussion with suppliers to determine the terms of reference for the current work in accordance with Government procurement requirements. They expect to issue the formal specification shortly. Given there are no existing measures of pavement parking, I anticipate this will include preparatory work to create the data-collection methods to be used, followed by a second phase which will be the data-collection fieldwork itself. Costs, and timelines will be finalised during the procurement process. Findings will be published as early as possible and no later than 12 weeks after the final outputs from the data collection stage are agreed in accordance with the Government Social Research Publication Protocol. This research seeks to measure the extent of pavement parking and its impacts and provide a baseline so that whichever policy we implement can be evaluated. It will not delay any policy announcement nor the publication of my Department’s formal response to the previous Government’s 2020 consultation.

What steps she is taking to support the increased use of Car Clubs.

Officials have met with Car Clubs as part of wider engagement on the Motor Insurance Taskforce. The Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (VETS) Order offers bonus ZEV Mandate credits to vehicle manufacturers who sell zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) to car clubs. The Government is driving forward the expansion of public charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can confidently make the switch to an electric vehicle. The £381m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. And we are continuing to invest, with £400m announced at the spending review to support EV infrastructure out to 2030.

What steps she is taking to expand the provision of high occupancy vehicle lanes in England.

Decisions on the use of high occupancy vehicle lanes in England are a matter for individual local highway authorities, and the Government currently has no plans to expand or encourage their use.

What steps she is taking to support the increased use of (a) car-pooling and (b) lift sharing.

I am carefully considering how we can support and promote car club and car-sharing schemes. The Government already supports car clubs with bonus credits in the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and guidance for local authorities on charging for car clubs. As I set out in response to a topical question from the Member for Brentford and Isleworth on 11 September, I will hold a roundtable with industry stakeholders in the near future to inform these considerations.

If she plans to have discussions with unions ahead of rail companies being taken into public ownership.

The Department and DFT Operator have regular discussions with trade unions on a range of topics, including the public ownership programme. Officials engage with trade unions throughout the transfer process, from the point of confirming when a train operator’s services will transfer into public ownership through to the transfer date and beyond.

If she will publish the membership and terms of reference of the Rail Engagement Group.

As part of our manifesto commitment to reset industrial relations, the Government is looking to establish the Rail Engagement Group (REG). It is intended that the REG will bring together leaders from the Department for Transport, rail industry and trade unions for strategic discussions about the railway, as we move towards establishing Great British Railways. Individuals have recently been invited to join the REG. The group’s membership will be published on gov.uk after it has been confirmed. The terms of reference will be published once agreed by the REG.

What steps she plans to take to ensure that rail workers maintain their (a) pay and (b) working conditions when their rail company is moved into public ownership.

As rail passenger services are transferred into public ownership, staff employed by the privately-owned operator transfer to the public sector operator in accordance with Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations, protecting their contractual terms and conditions.

What recent discussions her Department has had with freight operators on the potential impact of the Railway Bill on their operating model.

The Rail Minister meets regularly with the freight operators and the Railways Bill has been a subject of discussion on a number of occasions. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published every quarter and this information can be accessed on the Gov.uk website via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings. In addition, officials meet regularly with the freight operators and have provided updates on the Bill. There have also been workshops for operators on specific aspects of the Bill.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61693 on Driving Licences: Health, what the DVLA’s planned timeframe is for the introduction of the new strategic system to process medical cases.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s new system to process medical cases is being delivered in three phases and is scheduled to be fully operational by March 2026.

What recent discussions her Department has had with open access passenger service operators on the potential impact of the Railway Bill on their operating model.

DfT officials have regularly engaged Open Access operators, alongside other stakeholders, to provide both updates regarding proposed reforms and to invite their feedback. This includes engagement around the recent consultation on the Railways Bill, and the Department is now considering the responses received. It should also be noted that my Department remains committed to a role for Open Access in the reformed rail sector, providing competition to Great British Railways and choice for passengers. However, Open Access must genuinely add value and not simply inhibit the efficient operation of the network or divert revenue from existing operators – all of which are currently supported by the taxpayer in some form.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of accession to the EUROFIMA convention.

The Government is committed to developing a long-term industrial strategy for rolling stock, supporting British manufacturing, fostering innovation, and enhancing the rail passenger experience. As part of this work, the Department is exploring a range of financing structures to support investment, in partnership with private finance. This includes active engagement with Eurofima to assess how its financing mechanisms could support future investment in the UK rolling stock market.

What steps she is taking to help improve customer confidence in battery performance when buying used Euro 6 compliant electric vehicles.

The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and the recently announced Electric Car Grant require manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries. In comparison, new petrol or diesel cars usually come with a 3-year warranty.  Moreover, during the warranty period, if the battery capacity drops below 70% for cars or 65% for vans, the manufacturer must provide a replacement battery. The UK has worked with international partners at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to develop a Global Technical Regulation on EV batteries (GTR No.22). If implemented, this regulation would ensure that EVs provide easily accessible, accurate, and comparable information on the battery’s state of health. The Government is analysing options for the implementation of GTR No.22 regulations in the UK.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on providing English local authorities the powers to enforce a pavement parking ban.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on this matter. The Department held a consultation on pavement parking in 2020 and has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the possible legislative opportunities for delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to restrict and enforce pavement parking.