theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks to include civil offences where a safeguarding issue was involved. \p Jess Phillips: The purpose of a criminal record check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is to provide information to employers and others to help them judge the suitability of an individual for a particular role.

On the highest level enhanced DBS checks, which are used for the most sensitive roles working with children or vulnerable adults, chief officers of police have the discretion to include non-criminal information held on their systems, if they consider it relevant and proportionate to disclose, to support safeguarding.

DBS checks are only one part of a broader safeguarding framework. Employers and organisations are expected to consider a range of factors when assessing suitability for roles, including references, employment history, and other relevant information.

We continually keep the disclosure and barring regime under review to ensure it remains effective and proportionate.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of Leave to Remain applications. \p Mike Tapp: To help reduce the number of outstanding claims for protection we are investing in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives that will speed up and simplify our processes, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.

The Home Office is investing in innovative techniques, including AI, to explore how we can improve productivity, speed up processing the asylum backlog, and restore order in the asylum system.

We are also committed to ensuring our operational teams who process applications for leave to remain, have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many commercial flights there have been with people being removed under the UK’s migration treaty with France since 1 September 2025; and how many people have been removed under this treaty. \p Alex Norris: As published on GOV.UK on 9 October, 2 group flights saw 19 individuals returned to France. This was following the successful returns of an additional 7 individuals prior in the weeks prior to that. Further flights to France through the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous journeys are scheduled to take place over the coming days and weeks.
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Chris Philp:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59762 on Immigration, what progress her Department has made on each of the proposals she plans to bring into effect. \p Mike Tapp: The Restoring Control of the Immigration System White Paper published 12 May 2025 set out reforms to legal migration, so that we can restore order, control and fairness to the system, bring down net migration and promote economic growth.   On 1 July 2025 we laid Immigration Rules changes that delivered the first of the package of reforms set out in the White Paper:

Further Immigration Rules changes were laid on 14 October 2025 to deliver tighter control, while continuing to attract top global talent. Details of which can be found here: Statement of Changes to Immigration Rules and Explanatory memorandum to the statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1333, 14 October 2025 (accessible) - GOV.UK  Further measures will be announced in due course.
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Dave Doogan:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if her Department will issue guidance on whether a transgender person with a birth certificate which states their re-assigned sex is female is entitled to use female toilets. \p Olivia Bailey: The independent Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is developing its updated statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to support service providers in this area.

The EHRC has submitted the draft updated Codes to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the minister will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the Code.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent progress she has made in drafting the Equality and Human Rights Commission's draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations; and what discussions she has had with relevant organisations on this. \p Olivia Bailey: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the six week consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The EHRC has sought views from a wide range of affected stakeholders on their proposed changes to the Code. The Government was clear that there should be sufficient time for the consultation to be conducted widely and broadly, listening to diverse voices.

The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the minister will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the Code, at which point it will be published.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will (a) publish in full the final version of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated Code of Practice before it is laid for approval and (b) allow parliamentary debate on the Code’s provisions prior to ministerial sign-off. \p Olivia Bailey: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the six week consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities.

The Parliamentary process for laying the Code in Parliament is set out in the Equality Act 2006. The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the minister will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the Code at which point it will be published.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to publish the Code of Practice on services, public functions, and associations before it is laid before Parliament. \p Olivia Bailey: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the six week consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities.

The Parliamentary process for laying the Code in Parliament is set out in the Equality Act 2006. The Government will consider the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the minister will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the Code, at which point it will be published.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Improving disabled people's access to let residential premises: reasonable adjustments to common parts, a new duty, which closed on 18 August 2022. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The 2022 consultation was conducted by the previous Government and responses are being considered.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving greater enforcement powers to local authorities in relation to the regulation of roadworks conducted by utility companies. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport recognises the importance of ensuring that street works are carried out safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to road users and local communities.

Highway authorities already have access to a comprehensive set of powers and tools to manage works carried out on their networks by utility companies. These include issuing permits, imposing conditions, inspecting works, applying overrun charges for delays, and levying fines for non-compliance.

To further support highway authorities, the Department has introduced several recent measures, most notably, the doubling of fixed penalty notices for certain street works offences, including breaches of permit conditions. These changes will come into force on 5 January 2026, providing sufficient time for both industry and local authorities to prepare.

The Department remains committed to empowering local authorities to manage their networks in ways that best reflect local needs and priorities. We will continue to engage with stakeholders, monitor the impact of recent measures, and explore opportunities for further improvements or devolution of powers where appropriate.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to improve transparency in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s decision‑making process for over‑70s driving licence renewals; and what weightings are given to recent eyesight tests conducted by qualified opticians when assessing over-70s driving licence renewals. \p Simon Lightwood: Information about renewing a driving licence at the age of 70 and over and eyesight tests for driver licensing is available online at:

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

https://www.gov.uk/eye-conditions-and-driving

Renew your driving licence if you're 70 or over - GOV.UK.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of unadopted roads on new housing developments due to developers. \p Simon Lightwood: Following the publication of the Competition and Markets Authority’s Housebuilding Market Study in February 2024, the Department has noted a downward trend in road adoption rates across England, particularly in areas with new housing developments. In response, the Department is undertaking research into the road adoption process under the Highways Act 1980 to assess the scale of the issue nationally and identify opportunities to improve the system to reverse the downward trend. Additionally, the Department is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to explore reforms to the planning process that support more effective road adoption outcomes.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of road tolls on the cost of living in areas near toll bridges. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government has not carried out a formal assessment of the impact of bridge tolls on the cost of living in nearby areas. While tolls are an additional cost, users also enjoy significant benefits from the availability of such bridges, without which journeys would be substantially longer.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to publish the integrated public transport strategy. \p Simon Lightwood: As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we will be publishing a long-term strategy for transport to set out the Department’s vision for domestic transport across England. We intend to publish the Strategy towards the end of this year.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to strengthen retrospective rural-proofing of her Department's policies. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department keeps the impact of its policies on rural communities up and down the country under continual review and has strengthened retrospective rural-proofing in three ways.

Firstly our Transport Appraisal framework is rigorous and provides structured guidance during the appraisal process. It ensures that local context is effectively captured and that place-based analysis is appropriately conducted, including within rural communities.

Secondly, the Department consistently considers the distributional impacts of its policies through the application of equalities impact assessments. These assessments include a thorough review of potential differential impacts on communities including rural communities, ensuring that Ministers are fully informed when making policy decisions.

Thirdly, we are commissioning and publishing independent evaluations of programmes with significant rural reach- such as Demand Responsive Transport pilots funded through the Rural Mobility Fund and the Tackling Loneliness with Transport pilots - and will publish further evaluation outputs in the coming months to inform future policy and guidance.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty to include all of her Department's responsibilities. \p Simon Lightwood: The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve, or have served, in the Armed Forces, and their families, including the bereaved, will be treated fairly and not disadvantaged in accessing public and commercial goods and services as a result of their military service. It also allows for special provision, when justified, for those who have sacrificed the most, such as the bereaved and injured. The Covenant Legal Duty helps promote better outcomes for the Armed Forces community when accessing key public services of healthcare, housing, and education, and this will soon be extended to transport.

The Department for Transport is well-equipped to meet its obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty, ensuring that armed forces personnel and their families do not face undue disadvantage when accessing transport services.

The Department will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the Covenant’s Statutory Guidance and implementation.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on integrating electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) new housing developments and (b) public spaces. \p Keir Mather: 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.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 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. \p Keir Mather: 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.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the US trade deal on levels of bioethanol production in the UK. \p Keir Mather: The closure of UK bioethanol production in the UK this year represents a significant loss in capacity. However, it is not considered likely to impact the manufacture or supply of E10 petrol in the UK. It is expected that the supply of bioethanol for petrol suppliers will continue to be met by both bioethanol produced at the remaining UK plants and by imports. The US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) does not impact the number of litres of ethanol that will be supplied in the UK as renewable transport fuel.

Any proposals to change legislation covering the bioethanol content of petrol, to move from E10 to E20 for example, would be subject to extensive public consultation, and include a full assessment of impacts. There is no timeline for the introduction of E20 petrol in the UK, as no decision has been made to mandate E20 or to make any other changes to ethanol blending permitted in petrol standards. The Department will be setting up an expert working group later this year to investigate the feasibility of increasing the level of ethanol blending in petrol in the UK beyond E10.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Keir Mather: The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV).

Surrey County Council, which includes Surrey Heath constituency, was allocated over £3 million through the Government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to leverage additional private investment and expand the amount of EV charging infrastructure across the area.

We also recently announced a £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant which is intended to empower local authorities to adopt pavement channels as part of their local charging solutions. Surrey County Council were allocated £225,000 to support the installation of pavement channels.
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions ships' captains were given a direction under the Marine Safety Act 2003 between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2024; and if she will list the (a) date, (b) ship and (c) nature of each direction. \p Keir Mather: Safety directions are issued under Schedule 3A of the Merchant Shipping Act (MSA) 1995 (as amended); Schedule 1 of the Marine Safety Act 2003 was inserted as Schedule 3A of the MSA 1995 (as amended).

In the period in question, ships’ masters were directed under Schedule 3A powers on four occasions:

On 16 March 2013, the master, owners and insurers of the general cargo vessel Danio were directed to notify their plans or intentions, including the appointment of competent salvors, following the grounding of the vessel.

On 3 February 2017, the master and owners of the bulk carrier V Due were directed to remove their ship from the port of Liverpool to take the undamaged cargo on board the ship for discharge to another port. The ship had previously been directed into the port of Liverpool after a cargo combustion fire on board and damaged cargo was subsequently discharged in the port.

On 19 July 2018, the master, owners and insurers of general cargo vessel Priscilla were directed to appoint competent salvors following the grounding of the vessel.

On 23 December 2018, the master and owners of the bulk carrier Kuzma Minin were directed to move the ship from an anchorage position to a casualty mooring buoy in Falmouth harbour. The ship had previously run aground and was then refloated in port controlled waters.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing an electric vehicle social leasing scheme. \p Keir Mather: Government incentives are targeted to where they will deliver the most impact and the greatest value for money to the taxpayer. We have recently introduced the Electric Car Grant, which is available to private buyers of new zero emission vehicles, as well as vehicle leasing and rental companies. This allows the Grant to benefit drivers regardless of whether they prefer to purchase or lease a vehicle. The Government continues to keep all policies under review to ensure the transition to zero emission vehicles takes place in an equitable and fair manner.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with local (a) authorities and (b) transport authorities to help increase EV uptake in cities. \p Keir Mather: The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has allocated capital and resource funding across all higher tier local authorities (LAs) in England, to ensure chargepoint rollout improves significantly, including in cities. In total, the LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 chargepoints across England giving drivers, especially those without access to off-street parking, the confidence to switch to an EV.

To further address gaps in infrastructure and make it easier for those without a driveway to charge at home, the Government has also announced a new £25 million grant for local authorities in England to install electric vehicle pavement channels. Support is also available to LAs through one-to-one guidance, masterclasses and an online knowledge repository.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to make EV charging at home more (a) widely accessible and (b) affordable. \p Keir Mather: A range of Government grants are available to support the installation of charging devices for people living in flats and rented accommodation and for those with accessible on-street parking.

The Government is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions. Our £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant, announced on 13 July, will support thousands of residents without off-street parking to conveniently charge their vehicles at home, accessing cheaper tariffs through their domestic energy supplies.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018, in the context of the potential impact of airport expansion proposals approved at (a) London Gatwick, (b) London Luton, (c) London Stansted and (d) London City on the UK's climate commitments. \p Keir Mather: The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they are in line with the UK’s legal, environmental and climate obligations.

The Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) has effect in relation to the provision of a Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport. Nonetheless, the ANPS is clear that it is still a relevant and important consideration in the determination of airport related developments, particularly where it relates to London or the South East of England.

In January the Chancellor announced that the Government will review the ANPS, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. Further details on this will be announced shortly. The current ANPS remains operational until the review has been completed.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of public electric vehicle chargepoints that will be installed in each year between 2025 and 2030. \p Keir Mather: An estimate of potential future demand for chargepoints was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 resulting in a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. Both the 2024 NAO ‘public chargepoints for electric vehicles’ report, which presents annual projections out to 2030, and the Climate Change Committee 2025 Progress report, concluded that rollout to date is on track.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the 300,000 public chargepoints required by 2030 that will come from the installation of the 100,000 local chargepoints announced on 13 June 2025. \p Keir Mather: An estimate of potential UK future demand for chargepoints was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 resulting in a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030. While the precise number of public chargepoints needed is uncertain, the majority of these will be delivered by industry. The Government’s LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 chargepoints across England, nearly all in addition to over 86,000 publicly available chargepoints to date.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total amount of public funding committed to electric vehicle charging infrastructure to date is; and what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per operational public chargepoint delivered. \p Keir Mather: In the 2025 Spending Review £400 million of capital funding was allocated to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30.

The cost of deploying public chargepoints varies widely due to a range of factors including location, speed, anticipated utilisation, and grid connection costs, with many chargepoints delivered without any public funding. Where funding is provided, we monitor average public chargepoint costs via data from DfT grants to ensure value for money for the taxpayer. The Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund has been designed to minimise cost to the public by encouraging local authorities to leverage significant private investment.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Thurrock and Basildon councils on reducing serious and fatal road traffic collisions. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has not had specific discussions with Thurrock or Basildon councils.

This Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the illegal use of the vehicle registration numbers of legitimate car owners. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime, including the use of cloned number plates.

The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the DVLA. It is a legal requirement for number plate suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. Selling a number plate without carrying out these required checks carries a maximum penalty of a fine of £1,000 and the potential removal from the Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

Officials are also considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable RNPS process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers. On-road enforcement for offences relating to the display of number plates is a matter for the police. The DVLA assists the police and Trading Standards in their enforcement against number plate suppliers, including those who trade illegally. When notified, the DVLA will investigate and pass on intelligence to the police who are responsible for investigating this criminal matter.

Anyone who thinks their number plate may have been cloned should contact the police immediately. Any fines received should be returned to the issuing authorities. The DVLA can provide customers with letters that can be used as supporting evidence and can also provide a replacement registration number where appropriate.
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Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for disabled parking bays for people who are of state pension age with mobility issues but are not in receipt of the higher rate of DLA or PIP. \p Simon Lightwood: Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 provides local authorities with powers to mark out bays for specific purposes, issue local parking permits, and use Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) to reserve spaces for specific purposes.

This can be a voluntary local scheme, and the cost and nature of the concession would be for the local authority to decide.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of the national cycle network are permissive routes. \p Lilian Greenwood: In England, approximately 2,720 miles of the National Cycling Network is on a permissive right of way. Of this, over 50% is on land owned by a Local Authority or other public body.
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Steve Yemm:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent car insurance premiums from being increased for drivers involved in no-fault accidents. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has not assessed the potential merits of legislation to prevent premiums rising for drivers involved in no fault accidents.

The setting and the adjustment of premiums following a claim are commercial decisions for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not generally intervene or seek to control the market.

Drivers need to declare incidents that they are involved in, regardless of who or what was at fault. As a result, their premiums may increase, as insurance works on the basis of whether a claim is paid out under the policy, regardless of fault. Where an insurer is able to recover its outlay from the other party, the increase might be readjusted in the future.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which equestrian organisations her Department has consulted in developing its approach to equestrian road safety. \p Lilian Greenwood: When carrying out the review of The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, the Department for Transport worked closely with an expert stakeholder group from the outset representing different users of the road including the British Horse Society.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road collisions took place between vehicles and horses in 2024; and what proportion of these were a result of a vehicle passing too closely or quickly. \p Lilian Greenwood: There were 56 reported personal injury collisions, on public roads (including footways), involving at least one ridden horse and another vehicle in Great Britain 2024.

In 15 cases, a police officer attended the scene of the collision and recorded at least one contributory factor or road safety factor. In 12 of these 15 collisions (80%), a factor related to speed or passing too closely to another road user was assigned to a vehicle other than the ridden horse that was involved in the collision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_237

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of data collected on road safety. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department’s road casualty statistics are based on data reported to the Department by police forces via the STATS19 system. Information on the strengths and weaknesses of this data are available in the background quality information which accompanies the published statistics on the gov.uk website.

While STATS19 is considered to be a valuable dataset in developing and monitoring road safety, with a wide range of users and uses, the Department is exploring a range of additional datasets to address some of its known limitations. A summary of recent and planned development work, published on 25 September 2025, is also available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/road-accident-and-safety-statistics-guidance#planned-developments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_238

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve road safety for young drivers in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign.

We are considering measures to address this problem and protect young drivers, as part of our upcoming strategy for road safety - the first in over a decade.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_239

Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the size of car bonnets on (a) pedestrian and (b) cyclist safety. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The Department ran a THINK! campaign to raise awareness of the changes as they came into effect. This was followed by broader behaviour change campaigns in the summer of 2022 and 2023, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance.

We also promote cycle safety advice for cyclists and motorists via THINK! social channels, education resources and run radio filler advertising encouraging motorists to maintain safe driving distances from cyclists and horse riders and to use the Dutch Reach when opening car doors to help keep cyclists safe.

The Department has not made any assessment of the potential impact of increasing the size of car bonnets on pedestrian or cyclist safety. All mass-produced cars are required to meet pedestrian protection requirements which are designed to protect pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a crash.  However, we are aware of the issue and intend to commission some work in this area to fully understand the impact of the trend in increased bonnet height.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_240

Anna Dixon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to local authorities to support the (a) improvement and (b) adoption of unadopted roads. \p Simon Lightwood: Should local highway authorities see fit, they are free to adopt unadopted roads under sections 37, 38 and 228 of the Highways Act 1980.

The Government has already provided £500 million of additional funding for local highway maintenance this year, bringing the total to a record investment of almost £1.6 billion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_241

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71264 on Driving under Influence, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the lower limit in Scotland on the economic viability of pubs in Scotland. \p Simon Lightwood: The power to set the drink drive limit in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. The Department of Transport has not made an assessment of the impact on the economic viability of pubs in Scotland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_242

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the FOI response Ref: FOI-00045627, if she will publish that response. \p Simon Lightwood: Although the Department for Transport maintains a monthly disclosure log of Freedom of Information requests on GOV.UK it does not routinely publish individual replies. Copies of individual replies with personal information redacted are available on request.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Natalie Fleet:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the average number of weeks that learner drivers are waiting to take their driving test in Derbyshire; and what steps she is taking to reduce this. \p Simon Lightwood: 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.

The driving test centres (DTC) that serve candidates in the Derbyshire area are Derby, Chesterfield, Worksop, Ashfield and Buxton. The current average waiting time in weeks for a car practical driving test at these DTCs is 24 weeks.

Average waiting times are measured by calculating, at a full-time test centre level, the first week in the 24-week booking window where at least 10% of slots released to the public are available to book.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 290 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests. A full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

From recent recruitment in Derbyshire, one new entrant DE, following successful completion of training, will join Derby DTC. A further DE is also transferring into this test centre at the beginning of November.

A new DE started in July at Chesterfield DTC and a further two new entrants are waiting to start their training course. DVSA also has a new entrant DE awaiting a training course for Worksop.

At Ashfield DTC a new DE started in August, with a further new entrant starting on 6 October. A further three new entrants are also awaiting to start their training course. DVSA has also recruited four new entrant DEs for Buxton DTC and they are delivering driving tests.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_244

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of self-driving taxis on local economies. \p Simon Lightwood: The Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme, which was consulted on between July and September 2025, facilitates the deployment of self-driving bus-, taxi- and private hire-like services. Pilot deployments under this scheme, which will be in place from Spring 2026, are anticipated to be in specific locations and small in scale. Over this initial period, the economic impact is anticipated to be small. Pilot deployments will contribute to government’s understanding of the economic impact of these services, including their relationship with existing modes of transport.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Daniel Francis:To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has considered providing a Changing Places toilet in Portcullis House. \p Nick Smith: I can confirm we have considered the inclusion of a Changing Places toilet in Portcullis House.

The nearest Changing Places facility is in the Palace, so we fully recognise the importance of providing one in Portcullis House and are committed to exploring how best to deliver it in future. It is something we want to do and acknowledge it is needed to support accessibility and inclusion. Based on initial assessments, the most appropriate location would be on the first floor within the publicly accessible area. However, installation would require significant refurbishment and the relocation of an existing office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_246

Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the his Department's press release entitled UK and Irish Governments announce legacy framework to enable truth for families of the Troubles, published on 19 September 2025, whether the proposed (a) right to stay at home, (b) protection from repeated investigations and (c) protection in old age will apply to people who are not veterans that served in the HM Armed Forces. \p Hilary Benn: On 14 October, the Government introduced the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill as part of our commitment to repeal and replace the previous government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023.

The legislation includes strong safeguards for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Act, and that respond directly to the concerns expressed during engagements that the Government has undertaken. The Government is also taking forward some measures on a non-legislative basis. All of the measures that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

Some measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans from giving unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.

Other measures, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.

The Commission’s duty to avoid duplication unless it is considered essential will apply to all of its investigations. This will ensure that the Commission’s investigations are effective, efficient, and focused on getting answers for families, whilst also protecting veterans from having to unnecessarily provide information previously covered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-16 conversation_247

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications were received for the first round of the Connect Fund. \p Hilary Benn: The Connect Fund has received a very positive reaction from the civic and voluntary sector and in its inaugural month received a total of 24 applications.