theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of animals involved in LD50 tests by type of animal; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of those tests. \p Dan Jarvis: The Home Office publishes detailed annual statistics on the use of animals in science, including procedures for acute and sub-toxicity testing methods such as LD50 (Lethal Dose 50) and LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50). According to the latest published figures for 2024, there were 11,992 procedures in this category, and the statistics include a breakdown by species.

All testing using protected animals, including the LD50 and LC50 tests, are subject to strict regulation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

These particular tests are internationally recognised methods for assessing toxicity and are required under guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations overseen by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Some authorised medicines in the UK necessitate quality control tests which require the use of animals, conducted to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of specific medicines. The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption. The strategy is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2025, to Question 86767, on Counter-terrorism: expenditure, what is the methodology by which local authorities are threat-rated for the purposes of Prevent funding; and what is the methodology by which the Prevent funding to individual councils is calculated. \p Dan Jarvis: Each year the Home Office conducts an annual prioritisation exercise to understand which Local Authorities (LAs) are facing the highest threat from radicalisation to terrorism. The model is data-led and incorporates both quantitative and qualitative elements. It is regularly reviewed and adapted to ensure that it provides a sound basis to make effective evidence-based decisions.

The quantitative element of the model draws on counter-terrorism investigations data and arrests data for terrorism and terrorism-related offences; the number of cases that have been discussed at a Channel multi-agency panel or are being managed separately under the police-led process; community tension reports; hate crime data; Indices of Multiple Deprivation; and annual employment statistics.

As part of the qualitative element, we hold a series of regional roundtables with key Prevent delivery partners, which allows us to sense check the preliminary rankings and make adjustments by drawing on the knowledge and experience of front-line Prevent practitioners from across a range of sectors, including CT Policing; Department for Education; Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government; Health; and HM Prisons and Probation.

Funding for posts and dedicated projects is allocated as part of an annual bidding process, with funding allocations informed by factors including the amount of funding available, the level of threat, the level of funding provided for Prevent posts in the previous financial year, and inflation-related increases.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the urgent correspondence from the hon. Member for Torbay dated 12 November 2025 on the potential closure of the custody suite in Torbay. \p Sarah Jones: A response to this letter has been sent.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to stop the sale of human remains on ecommerce sites. \p Sarah Jones: I refer the Hon Member to the response given to her on 25 March 2025 from the Department for Business and Trade in response to PQ 38667.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the level of prosecutions for immigration-related offences. \p Alex Norris: Prosecutions themselves are a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 provides an array of new and stronger powers for law enforcement agencies to prevent organised immigration crime and bring further prosecutions against immigration related offences. These powers will, for example, make it a criminal offence to put lives in danger during a small boat crossing and will allow law enforcement to intercept smuggling gangs’ criminal activity earlier on in the investigations process. The Crown Prosecution Service has welcomed the package of new offences as it equips prosecutors with another tool to fight organised immigration crime, especially those involving dangerous Channel crossings.

The full Act can be found at legislation.co.uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/part/3/enacted and part 3 provides for ‘Offences relating to things for use in serious crime’.

Statistics published last week show there has been a 33% surge in smuggling arrests, convictions and seizures of criminal cash and assets over the last 12 months. More information on this can be read at What is being done to stop organised immigration crime? - GOV.UK
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the current level of conviction and sentencing patterns for immigration offences on immigration enforcement policy. \p Alex Norris: Statistics published last week show there has been a 33% surge in smuggling arrests, convictions and seizures of criminal cash and assets over the last 12 months. What is being done to stop organised immigration crime? - GOV.UK

To maintain the highest standards of accuracy, the Home Office prefers to refer to published data, as this has been subject to rigorous quality assurance under National Statistics protocols prior to publication. Information about convictions of immigration offences is not available in our published data. Our published national data on enforcement activity is available at the following link and includes data on detected irregular arrivals to the UK Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2025 - GOV.UK
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to deter small boat crossings in the English Channel. \p Alex Norris: The Government’s Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks behind it.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 has now received Royal Assent and the overarching impact assessment for this can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill-2025-impact-assessment/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill-2025-impact-assessment-accessible#impact-assessment

The Government is continuously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our measures in place to tackle small boats. As stated in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, the Border Security Command will be publishing an annual report, which must state the Commander’s views on the performance in the financial year of the border security system. This is set out in the Act here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/section/4/enacted

Border security is fundamental to both our national security and economic security and evaluating our approach is a critical part of that.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve border security technology at ports of entry. \p Alex Norris: The Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, sets out a range of measures to transform the border, including using technology to maintain security at ports of entry.

The introduction of a ‘universal permission to travel’ requirement means that we know more about everyone wishing to travel to the UK including Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and eVisa holders. This will allow for more interventions to take place upstream, with enhanced data and intelligent technologies also being used to target interventions on arrival, as well as using facial comparison technology to deliver consistent identity verification. We are currently reviewing the findings of a contactless eGate pilot and will announce further information on its implementation in due course.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025, to Question 86426, on Asylum: Housing, If she will publish a copy of the pre-procurement documentation sent to potential suppliers of asylum accommodation for the next round of contracts. \p Alex Norris: The pre-procurement documentation for the Future Asylum Contract Transformation Project will not be published.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025, to Question 86772, on Asylum: Housing, whether the Home Office holds an unpublished guidance or manual on assessing suitability. \p Alex Norris: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided in PQ 86772.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025, to Question 86342, whether there is an internal document that sets out her Department's new accommodation strategy. \p Alex Norris: The Prime Minister has been clear he wants every asylum hotel closed by the end of this Parliament. In delivering that, every Department has been asked to look at what more it can do. Accordingly, we are reviewing the long-term strategy to reflect the work to exit hotels.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of ending the use of asylum hotels on the use of dispersed accommodation in areas like Oldham; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of routinely publishing the number of properties procured for dispersed accommodation. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office has, since 2022, operated a system of Full Dispersal which works to ensure that asylum accommodation is spread equitably and fairly across the UK. Procurement of accommodation is driven by a set of evidence-based plans, which are refreshed every six months with Local Government, and which consider a range of factors, including the availability of housing, pressure on services and community cohesion, to ensure that no one area is overburdened.

Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including accommodation type, and broken down into Local Authority area, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release.

Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025, to Question 85954, on Asylum: Housing, whether there is a guidance document that the Department follows when reviewing and considering a local authority objection. \p Alex Norris: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided in PQ 85954.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a copy of the current version of the Home Office guidance entitled Hotel Contingency Asylum Accommodation: Local authority version. \p Alex Norris: Hotel Contingency Asylum Accommodation is procured under the Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC). The AASC are published and set out our requirements for the sourcing and procurement of accommodation, including how providers should work and consult with local authorities on a range of issues, from pressure on services, to security and the impact on the wider community.

You can find information about specific Home Office contracts using the Contracts Finder, which can be found here: Contracts Finder - gov.uk(opens in a new tab).
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of recent illegal working arrests, how many have been removed from the United Kingdom. \p Alex Norris: Details of Immigration Enforcement activity to tackle illegal employment in the UK can be found in the Home Office’s published transparency data: Illegal working and enforcement activity to the end of September 2025 - GOV.UK

Returns data can also be found in the Home Office’s published transparency data. This is not broken down by arrest location: Returns from the UK and enforcement activity - GOV.UK

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for the total spend on (i) LinkedIn membership fees (ii) other subscriptions by his Department in the last financial year. \p Hilary Benn: The total expenditure by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) on (i) LinkedIn membership fees and (ii) other subscriptions for the financial year 2024/2025 was as follows:

Category

Total Expenditure (£)

(i) LinkedIn membership fees

£0.00 (Nil Return)

(ii) Other subscriptions (Media)

£5,939.52
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Simon Hoare:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiries entitled (a) Robert Hamill Inquiry and (b) Billy Wright Inquiry. \p Hilary Benn: Section 14(1) of the Inquiries Act 2005 sets out that for the purposes of the Act, an Inquiry comes to an end either:

(a) on the date, after the delivery of the report of the inquiry, on which the chairman notifies the Minister that the inquiry has fulfilled its terms of reference, or

(b) on any earlier date specified in a notice given to the chairman by the Minister.

In the case of the Robert Hamill Inquiry, the original Inquiry Chair, Sir Edwin Jowitt, advised the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, on 25 February 2011, that the Inquiry Panel had fulfilled its Terms of Reference. However, following announcement by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland in December 2010 of criminal proceedings against three individuals on charges of perverting the course of justice, it was agreed that the Inquiry Report would not be published or submitted to the Secretary of State until the conclusion of those legal proceedings. At that point, the Report was placed in a secure independent location, only accessible to the Inquiry Chair, Secretary and Solicitor. These legal proceedings have now concluded. A new Chair, Sir John Evans, was appointed on 7 October 2024 due to Sir Edwin unfortunately being unable to continue in the role. Steps are now being taken to publish the report.

The Billy Wright Inquiry report was published on 14 September 2010 with the Inquiry Chair, Lord MacLean, advising the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP on 12 December 2010 that the Inquiry had fulfilled its Terms of Reference in line with section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that (a) gyms, (b) swimming pools, and (c) leisure centres are used to help reduce (i) health and (ii) socioeconomic inequalities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The benefits to individual wellbeing through sport and physical activity are valued at £96.7 billion a year, and the wider value to society through savings to the health and care system is £10.5 billion a year.

In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the resilience of local journalism; and what plans she has to provide support to help sustain local news providers. \p Ian Murray: Resilience of local journalism across the country is an area of particular concern for this Government, including in Stockton West and more broadly across County Durham. The Government understands the important work that local news providers do across the UK, including outlets such as The Darlington and Stockton Times and The Northern Echo. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of sustaining this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story.

We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops. DCMS ministers held a roundtable discussion with local news editors in the spring to discuss the planned approach and collaboration with industry on the Strategy. An industry working group has since been set up to consider the issues in more detail and has been meeting regularly since June. More will be announced on the Strategy in the coming months.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate has been made of the value of fines imposed on utility companies by highway authorities in England for each year from 2015 to date. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department for Transport has not made estimates of the value of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued to utility companies by highway authorities in England and does not hold data of this nature. While it is a legal requirement to raise FPNs in Street Manager, the Department only records information on the number of FPNs raised, which authority issued them, which utility company received them, and the reason for the FPN.

Local highway authorities may hold data on the value of FPNs. The Department for Transport sets FPN amounts to encourage compliance with street works regulations. From 5 January 2026, FPNs will double from their current amount for certain offences, including working without a permit, breaching permit conditions, and failing to provide start and stop notices on time.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 93455, whether it ceased to be her department's policy that 50% of journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030 when the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy ended in March 2025. \p Lilian Greenwood: Decisions on future active travel targets will be confirmed in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy when it is published next year.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 93855, if she will break down those (a) nominal and (b) real terms rises by year. \p Keir Mather: The Office of Rail and Road publish annual statistics measuring the change in prices charged by train operating companies to rail passengers, normally introduced in March of each year. Table 7180 provides the average change in fares by regulated and unregulated tickets, for Great Britain, from 1995 to 2025. The data set also includes the Retail Prices Index from which real fare changes can be calculated. This can be found at the following link:

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance/rail-fares/
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Budget’s roads funding announcements on tackling congestion hotspots in Aldridge-Brownhills, including the A452, A461, Chester Road, Walsall Wood Road and Brownhills High Street; and whether additional funding will be made available to local authorities to deliver small-scale but high-impact junction and safety improvements. \p Simon Lightwood: Tackling congestion hotspots on local roads is a matter for local highway authorities. The roads in question are the responsibility of Walsall Council, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). WMCA is in receipt of £1.05bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and this Government has allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding to the region for the period up until 2031/32. It is for the combined authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with its local priorities.

The Government has also committed over £2 billion annually by 2029/30 for local authorities to repair and renew their roads and fix potholes – doubling funding since coming into office. For the first time, we have confirmed funding allocations for four years, enabling local authorities to plan ahead with certainty, move away from expensive, short-term repairs, and instead invest in proactive and preventative maintenance. As a result of this, WMCA are eligible to receive an additional £9 million in 2026/27.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to freeze travelcard fares in 2026. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government froze national regulated rail fares at the Budget, delivering savings on over a billion journeys, and passengers not paying a penny more on season tickets, peak returns for commuters and off-peak returns between major cities. There are a range of different travelcard products available to passengers - where they are managed by national rail operators, fares will be frozen, in line with the announcement. Decisions on TfL specific fares are a devolved matter for the Mayor of London.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the responses to the 2025 consultation on the driving test booking system. \p Simon Lightwood: The response has been published and can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/outcome/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules-response-to-consultation.
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Liam Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects HS2 Limited to complete its review of the timetable for releasing land for redevelopment at the Washwood Heath rolling stock maintenance yard. \p Simon Lightwood: HS2 Ltd is undertaking a sprint project that aims to identify and unlock opportunities for early release of land currently held for HS2 between London and Birmingham, around its stations and the Washwood Heath depot hub, to support both regeneration and economic growth. This work is part of – and its timing is therefore linked to – the reset of the HS2 programme, and is due to be completed in early 2026.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90814, what are the names of the third party organisations or agents, acting on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council, that have been provided with vehicle keeper data. \p Simon Lightwood: This information relates to a commercial arrangement between Oxfordshire County Council and the third party and it would not be appropriate to disclose that information.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to WPQ 91458, how much revenue local authorities made from (a) traffic junction enforcement, (b) clean air zones and (c) congestion charging in 2024-25. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department does not hold this information centrally.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 95613. whether she has had confirmation from Stellantis that all vehicles have been checked, declared safe to drive and returned to owners. \p Simon Lightwood: Stellantis have advised the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) they have dealt with the majority of vehicles. They have currently rectified circa 122,000 of an estimated 148,000 on the road overall.

Stellantis are also taking further steps to ensure greater awareness to ensure the remaining vehicles are reworked, including integration with DVSA’s MOT reminder service and also looking at strategies regarding further mailings to vehicle owners who have not yet engaged with Stellantis.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the net fiscal cost of freezing rail prices in each of the next five years. \p Keir Mather: I refer the Honourable Member to the response I provided him to question 95968 on 4 December 2025.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 94153, what discussions she has had with representatives of the road haulage industry to help ensure sufficient capacity exists to meet demand given the change in numbers declaring insolvency. \p Keir Mather: Department for Transport officials regularly meet representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss a wide range of issues impacting the industry. These meetings include the Freight Council and the Road Freight Industry Engagement Group.

In addition, officials hold ad hoc meetings with road haulage businesses and trade associations to discuss issues raised by the sector, including those relating to the capacity of the industry.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the rail fare freeze. \p Keir Mather: I refer the Honourable Member to the response I provided him to question 95968 on 4 December 2025.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimates National Highways has made of a) the average daily number of HGV movements to and from Immingham Port, b) expected daily HGV movements over the next five years, and c) whether current road capacity and maintenance plans are sufficient to support that growth. \p Keir Mather: National Highways’ select link analysis using regional traffic models, identified an average annual daily flow of 1,851 HGV movements between Immingham Port and the A180.

While the current Route Strategies (published May 2023) do not provide specific HGV forecasts for Immingham, they note that freight-related HGVs account for over 30% of traffic on key routes including the A160 and M180. Stakeholder engagement indicates HGV volumes are expected to rise, particularly with Freeport developments.

National Highways’ investment and maintenance plans, set out in the Route Strategies and underpinning the Road Investment Strategy, aim to maintain network reliability and resilience to support this growth. Traffic trends will continue to be monitored to help inform whether capacity needs are being met.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of train services between Manchester and London in 2025; and how much has been spent on delay repay compensation to customers on those services in 2025. \p Keir Mather: Avanti West Coast is beginning to see consistent and steady performance improvements on the network. However, there is still more to do with punctuality behind the industry average and poor Network Rail infrastructure reliability continuing to be a leading cause of disruption, including on the Manchester route. In 2025, service levels to Manchester increased with two additional weekday services added to the timetable from September.

The Government produces annual figures relating to the amount of compensation that is paid out by train operating companies. The data for 2024/25 has been collected and will be published shortly. The data for 2025/26 will be collected at the end of the financial year and subsequently published.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_287

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of air traffic controller recruitment and training capacity; and what steps she is taking to ensure adequate air traffic controller staffing for regional airports. \p Keir Mather: Air Traffic Control services in the UK operate in the private sector and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) who provide these services must ensure that they have adequate resources in place to safely operate. The pipeline for training new Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) is robust, with UK training centres currently operating at capacity. However, my department has just introduced secondary legislation giving the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) powers to recognise the previous training of third country and military ATCO’s towards meeting the requirements needed to achieve a UK civil ATCO licence. This will reduce the time it takes these individuals to become a civil ATCO in the UK and increase resilience across the sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_288

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of regional airlines and air links in the last five years on regional communities; and what steps she is taking to support the retention of regional air services. \p Keir Mather: The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector and it is for airports to invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines deliver services by responding to demand for different routes.

The Aviation Council was established earlier this year as a strategic platform for Government and industry to work collaboratively on the long-term challenges and opportunities facing the UK aviation sector. The Council is co-chaired by myself, the Minister for Aviation, and Ken O’Toole, the CEO of Manchester Airport Group (MAG).

The Council has formed five working groups to look at priority areas, including a Regional Connectivity working group to understand the factors that have influenced UK regional aviation connectivity, so recommendations can be made that would encourage growth.

The Government continues to provide support for existing domestic air routes which are in danger of being lost through the use of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) regulations. The Department for Transport currently joint-funds three PSO air routes into London from Newquay, Dundee and Derry/Londonderry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_289

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact on airline ticket prices from Heathrow Airport of the need to fund the public consultation process for the proposed third runway. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to delivering a third runway at Heathrow in a cost-effective way. The Civil Aviation Authority have launched a consultation on their working paper of regulatory options in their role as the independent economic regulator for the aviation industry. They propose several criteria for assessing future regulatory models, including how effective these options are in keeping costs for the travelling public low.

Aviation operates predominantly in the private sector, with ticket prices determined by many factors including competition between airlines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_290

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the projected total cost of a third runway at Heathrow, including the consultation process; and who will be responsible for funding the planning and construction. \p Keir Mather: The Government has been clear that any expansion at Heathrow must be affordable and firmly in the interests of passengers. The costs of the scheme, should be kept to a minimum and met through private funding, including any associated surface-transport requirements.

Whilst we have set out our ambition to move at pace, decisions on construction and operational costs are ultimately a matter for the scheme promoter. Scheme promoters are responsible for any consultation in relation to their DCO application in accordance with Planning Act 2008 requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_291

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 89642 on High Speed 2 Line, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the deferral of works on the Handsacre link on (a) journey times from the North West of England to London and (b) the economy during the four year deferral period. \p Keir Mather: As set out in my response of 20 November 2025 to question 89642, the deferral of work at Handsacre is not expected to have any impact on journey times for services from the North West of England to London once the delivery of HS2 is complete. The Department and HS2 Ltd are currently undertaking a full reset of the programme. As part of this reset the department will provide an update on the economic impact of the programme in a revised business case.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_292

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer to WPQ 94294, what is the (a) number (b) proportion of fares per week that will not be the same price or cheaper than the former super off-peak fare on the routes covered. \p Keir Mather: Although London North Eastern Railway voluntarily publish the proportion of Semi flexible fares sold that track against the adjusted price for the former super off-peak fare, as that fare no longer formally exists, the passenger assurances that are being tested in place of fares regulation are instead based upon a percentage of the price of the fully flexible ticket which remains available. The assurances are:

London North Eastern Railway has reported that only 10.1 per cent of standard advance fares were sold at over half the price of the fully flexible ticket as of July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_293

David Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Mirror, signal, manoeuvres: Military driving examiners mobilised to cut test backlog, published on 12 November 2025, whether an impact assessment has been conducted on the changes to the driving test booking system, including on driving instructors, and vulnerable or neurodiverse learners; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing approved driving instructors to book driving tests on behalf of pupils under the new system. \p Simon Lightwood: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country. The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that sought views from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. In reaching this decision, impacts were fully considered. Further detail on the rationale, which will set out the detailed analysis, will be provided in the consultation report which will be published shortly.

DVSA is aware that some learners will need support to book tests, particularly those with accessibility requirements or learning difficulties. DVSA is working through the details to ensure no one is disadvantaged and will discuss practical solutions with the driver training industry ahead of implementation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_294

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to prevent third-party sales of DVLA practical driving tests. \p Simon Lightwood: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

In the coming months, DVSA will:
wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_295
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_295

Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department took to communicate information regarding recent operational changes to the driving test booking system to Approved Driving Instructors ahead of those changes coming into force. \p Simon Lightwood: To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country.

The measures the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.

The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that sought views from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. In reaching this decision, impacts were fully considered. Further detail on the rationale, which will set out the detailed analysis, will be provided in the consultation report which will be published shortly.

The changes will come into effect from Spring 2026, and DVSA is working closely with a representative bodies group which includes national trade associations and large driving schools, to develop future communications to support and prepare the industry for the changes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_296

Harriet Cross:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the DVLA continues to rely on postal correspondence for medical driving licence assessments; and whether there are plans to modernise communication methods to allow applicants to communicate with the DVLA electronically, including through email or secure digital platforms. \p Simon Lightwood: The table below shows the average time the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) took to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition must be investigated:

Financial Year

Working days

2025/26 (to end of November)

51

2024/25

44

2023/24

56

The table below shows the number of medical driving licence applications that were outstanding on 3 December for the periods requested:

More than three months

More than six months

More than nine months

Number of cases

72,428

22,600

2,288

In 2024/25, the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions. The DVLA aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. However, driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

The quickest way to transact with the DVLA is by using its extensive suite of online services. Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online.

The DVLA is focusing on delivering significant improvements to digital services for applicants with medical conditions but medical investigations vary widely in their complexity.

The DVLA is currently rolling out a new casework system which is expected to deliver significant improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions. When fully implemented, this will provide improved turnaround times, increased capacity, increased automation, higher levels of digital functionality and increased digital communication. The DVLA is also planning to launch a new medical services platform which will enable more customers to transact online and will increase the use of email communication.

Applicants may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information on this can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180997/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-10 conversation_297

Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she had made of the effectiveness of the the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023. \p Keir Mather: The purpose of the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023 (the Order) is to enable prosecution of the dangerous use of watercraft. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is the relevant enforcement authority. 17 potential reports have been received, and one prosecution is currently underway following an incident that occurred in Pembrokeshire in 2024.