Written questions by Raja.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 122543, what assessment the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has made of the adequacy of conversion rates from application to appointment for driving examiner roles by recruitment channel.

As with any recruitment in the Civil Service, all applications must be made through Civil Service Jobs. There are several stages candidates must progress through before being offered employment, and consequently there will be candidates unsuccessful at various stages of the process. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) must ensure appointments are made based on merit following fair and open competition. As well as parts of the application process common to other Civil Service roles – eligibility checks, application forms, interviews, DBS checks - there are elements that are unique to the recruitment process for driving examiners (DE) when compared to other roles. Upholding road safety standards underpins everything DVSA does, and the recruitment process has to ensure those employed as DEs can determine if a candidate is ready and safe to take to the road alone. Candidates successful at interview will undertake an assessment of their driving ability, which they must pass. Further details of what this assessment entails can be found on GOV.UK. Candidates who successfully pass recruitment and are offered employment must undertake and pass a training programme before conducting tests.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to improve the (a) accessibility and (b) affordability of at home EV charging.

The Government continues to offer grant funding for those living in flats and rented accommodation, with up to £500 per charge point socket.The Government is also continuing to support drivers to access cheaper, flexible charging tariffs, both at home and in public. The Government set out a range of steps to support this as part of its Clean Flexibility Roadmap 2025.

What average grant value per vehicle has been assumed in modelling the Zero Emission Truck and Van funding package.

Based on historic splits between higher and lower value awards, we estimate that the average grant value for vans in the 2026/27 financial year will be approximately £3,500. For trucks, the estimated average grant value is approximately £50,000 in 2026/27.These estimates are indicative and remain subject to uncertainty. Actual average grant values will depend on market uptake and the proportion of vehicles eligible for each grant level. All grants remain under review and may be amended at any time to ensure value to the taxpayer.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120878, whether those efficiencies will contribute to a reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy in 2026–27.

The Government expects efficiencies made through public ownership to contribute to a reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy during the Spending Review period of 2026-27 to 2028-29, inclusive. This includes £395m of efficiencies from corporate initiatives as part of the Departmental Efficiency Plan, £52m of which are forecast to be delivered in 2026-27.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 120647, what estimate she has made of the net saving once the costs of expanding DfT Operator Limited, including staffing and administrative overheads, are accounted for.

Scaling up DFTO staffing in anticipation of establishing GBR is critical to building DFTO’s present capability to manage its growing number of operators and allow DFTO to maximise efficiencies during the transition to GBR. We expect the costs associated with expanding DfT Operator Limited - expansion that is key to delivering public ownership - to be offset in full by efficiency savings and reductions in the net subsidy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118043, how much the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has spent on advertising driving examiner vacancies in each of the last three years.

The table below shows the driver recruitment campaigns that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has spent advertising on, in each of the last three financial years to date. Financial YearSpend (£)Number of Campaigns2023/2419,675.0542024/2530,903.8932025/268,000.003Total58,578.9410

What recent estimate she has made of the proportion of electric vehicles in short-term hire fleets used by Government departments.

Data on vehicles used by Government departments are collected as part of the Government Fleet Commitment. This includes vehicles hired for 6 days or more. The Government Fleet Commitment data are fed into the Greening Government Commitments, and the most recent published data can be found online at Greening Government Commitments April 2021 to March 2024 report - GOV.UK. However, the data does not break down owned fleet and hired vehicles.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118042, whether the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has considered introducing additional tracking mechanisms to identify which recruitment channels generate successful applicants.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses the Civil Service recruitment service for all of its recruitment. For campaigns up to November 2025, DVSA used the data available from the Civil Service recruitment standard applicants survey. This shows which advertising routes generate candidates, however the information is limited and does not give 100% coverage. In December 2025, DVSA introduced a DVSA specific survey. This is sent to everyone who is offered an interview. This is then followed by another survey sent to anyone who successfully moves onto training. The data will be crossed referenced, however DVSA currently only has data for one complete and one ongoing campaign.

What assessment has been made of the availability of shore power and alternative fuel infrastructure for ferry operators serving the Isle of Wight.

The policies set out in the Government’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy will encourage more shore power or alternative fuel availability for ferry operators, by incentivising investment in maritime decarbonisation across the UK and in our ports. This Government will continue to work with Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, in its work to incentivise network companies to invest strategically ahead of need, ensuring that future grid capacity planning reflects the emerging demands from electrifying sectors, including the Isle of Wight ferry market. Through our UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions research programme, we have awarded nearly £580k funding to support a feasibility study, which is looking into options for providing shore power for the existing Wightlink FastCat ferry service.

What steps her Department is taking to provide incentives to Local Highway Authorities to achieve green ratings under traffic light rankings for pothole repairs; and whether she plans to impose consequences on authorities not achieving green ratings.

The Government has provided a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years. A portion of this funding is incentive funding, which is subject to local highway authorities publishing their maintenance plans and meeting performance-based criteria. By meeting these criteria, local highway authorities will also be able to achieve better ratings. Any authorities that received a red rating under the Department’s rating system also receive access to a dedicated support programme to help them improve their rating and local road conditions. At present, the Department has no plans to penalise or withhold resources from local highway authorities that do not achieve a green rating. We instead aim to support local highway authorities – through our record funding and wider support and guidance – so that they can achieve a better rating and to ensure road conditions improve nationwide.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the funding allocated to Local Highway Authorities for pothole repairs.

The Department has announced a record £7.3 billion investment into highways maintenance over the next four years which will enable local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys. By confirming funding over a four-year period, local authorities will have greater certainty to plan ahead and move away from short-term fixes, enabling more proactive and preventative work to stop potholes from forming in the first place. The Department will monitor how effectively local authorities use this record level of funding through annual transparency reports, incentive funding requirements which encourage authorities to follow best practice in highways maintenance, and the new traffic-light ratings system which was announced in January. Together, these measures will provide clearer oversight of local performance and help ensure that funding is used to deliver lasting improvements for road users.

What funding she has allocated to National Highways for ongoing repairs and maintenance of motorways and strategic A roads in addition to funding provided in the Autumn Budget 2025.

The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) due to be published in March will set out the funding that will be provided to National Highways for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the strategic road network over the period from 2026/27 to 2030/31.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of diesel operation on the Midland Main Line north of Leicester on emissions and air quality in a) Leicester and b) the East Midlands.

Prior to the decision being made to pause the Midland Main Line Electrification programme as part of Spending Review 2025, the benefits of the scheme were being assessed. The benefits of fully electrifying the Midland Main Line (MML) are predominately those that would deliver greener transport, such as reducing carbon and improving local air quality, particularly at stations, through trains using electric traction rather than diesel. Whilst not as clean as fully electric trains, the new intercity bi-mode trains currently being introduced by East Midland’s Railway are much cleaner and will contribute to improving air quality on the route. Station managers in areas with poor air quality are required to develop and implement Air Quality Improvement Plans (AQIPs) which should outline feasible measures to improve air quality. The AQIPs for Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, and Sheffield stations on the MML have been developed and must be reviewed and updated annually.

Whether her Department considers the level of rail infrastructure investment in (a) Leicester and (b) the East Midlands to be proportionate to its population.

Decisions made by the Government on investment in rail infrastructure are taken to ensure that the railways are funded to operate safely and efficiently and in line with our strategic goals.The funding identified for rail infrastructure enhancements as part of Spending Review 2025 was not apportioned regionally. Schemes were prioritised for funding on a value for money basis and we needed to make difficult decisions to reach an affordable and sustainable position.In addition to funding for rail enhancements, the Office of Rail and Roads’ periodic review process determines Network Rail’s funding allocation for the Operation, Support, Maintenance and Renewal (OSMR) of the network. The periodic review process is undertaken on a regional basis. Funding for Network Rail to operate, maintain and renew the railway in the East Midlands during Control Period 7 (from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029) is included in their £9.6bn settlement for the Eastern region.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local authority taxi and private hire licensing enforcement policies are brought into line with the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards.

We are currently reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance issued by the Department on actions they should take on licensing matters including safety. Where key safety recommendations from the guidance are not being followed, licensing authorities will be held to account.

Whether her Department plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the discretionary provision of concessionary bus passes for carers of disabled people.

The Department does not have any plans to provide advice on offering a discretionary concession to carers of disabled people, as offering this is a choice for the individual local authority to make.In the year ending March 2025, 66% of Travel Concession Authorities in England outside London offered a discretionary concession for those travelling with a disabled person. The decision on whether to offer discretionary concessions is for the local authority to make depending on their needs and circumstances.As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, of which Leicester City Council was allocated £9.4 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include funding discretionary concessions.

What assessment she has made of the level of variation between local authorities in the discretionary provision of free bus passes for carers of disabled people; and what steps she is taking to ensure a consistent approach across England.

The Department does not have any plans to provide advice on offering a discretionary concession to carers of disabled people, as offering this is a choice for the individual local authority to make.In the year ending March 2025, 66% of Travel Concession Authorities in England outside London offered a discretionary concession for those travelling with a disabled person. The decision on whether to offer discretionary concessions is for the local authority to make depending on their needs and circumstances.As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 25/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, of which Leicester City Council was allocated £9.4 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include funding discretionary concessions.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of additional lorry drivers required after the reduction in volumetric concrete mixers weight limits.

The call for evidence conducted from October to December 2023 was an opportunity for respondents to present evidence, but it did not reveal significant new evidence supporting a change in policy.The outcome of my department’s review into VCMs was published on 18 March. This can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/volumetric-concrete-mixers-review.

What steps her Department is taking to increase (a) automated announcements at railway stations and (b) assistance from platform staff for visually impaired passengers.

Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach. Whenever the industry carries out work at stations this must meet current accessibility standards, including for visual and audible announcements. Furthermore, all train and station operators are required to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy which sets out, amongst other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services. We have recently funded the next phase of the Passenger Assist programme, this will build on the existing programme and deliver an improved and more consistent assistance offer for all passengers who require assistance.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the national bus fare cap on the number of journeys made by bus.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025, which prevented a cliff-edge return to commercial fares. Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.The published full evaluation of the first 10 months of the £2 fare cap found that the scheme contributed approximately a 5% increase in bus patronage, out of a total 13% patronage increase outside of London from January to October 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year.