Contributions
2,622 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBus Industry SupportThe Government are a great supporter of trams. Indeed, much of the money that we gave to local metro mayors—about £5.7 billion, I think, in the CRSTS—is going to extending tram…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportWe can congratulate them; they do a fantastic job. Noble Lords will have seen that the Government announced £25 million of funding for zero-emission buses only recently—I believe…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportMy Lords, on 17 February the Government announced that they will provide up to £80 million to extend the bus recovery grant until 30 June 2023. The department is evaluating the…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportI am not entirely sure that I follow the noble Lord’s thinking that, just by devolving it, the same amount of money will provide services at a lower cost. It is the case that…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportMy noble friend is absolutely right that the £2 bus fare cap is an important intervention for us to properly understand the relationship between bus fares and patronage. There are…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportThe noble Baroness has written to me about this and I have responded. I cannot quite understand what might be going on in her area. It is fairly simple: if it is a Section 22…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportWe have seen a decline in the number of people using concessionary fares since the pandemic; certainly, those are the sorts of people who we want to get back on to buses. It is so…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportMy noble friend is right that some routes have been changed and others have been reduced. It is the case that, if an operator wants to reduce a route, it must put in an…16 Mar 2023HANSARDBus Industry SupportI am not entirely aware of the strategy that the noble Baroness is talking about. We have a bus strategy and we absolutely stand by that strategy. We think that the elements…16 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityI will have to take that back to the department because I am not aware of a significant reduction in the number of flights; indeed, I expect them to be back to where they were by…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityAer Lingus flights had to cease because of the wet-leasing arrangements it was using, which it carried on for much longer than the Government would normally allow. However, I am…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityI am not able to confirm that we will do everything we can to deter that practice because, of course, historic rights to slots are an asset and when an airline fails, those slots…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityI am not sure I am going to be able to help the noble Baroness any more than other Ministers have, as it is beyond my departmental brief. However, I will pass her concerns on to…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityI am sure all noble Lords will agree that the Government acted incredibly swiftly in a very difficult situation, and we were all very pleased with the outcome.13 Mar 2023HANSARDAirports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) Regulations 2023That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 31 January be approved. Considered in Grand Committee on 6 March.13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityI completely agree with my noble friend. I have been to Northern Ireland as a tourist, and it is truly fabulous. On the recent collapse of Flybe, in November 2022 Flybe was…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityMy Lords, connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is currently very strong and has largely recovered to 2019 levels. This includes several competing services…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityAs the noble Baroness will be aware, the Government announced a reduction in domestic air passenger duty. That comes into force from April 2023—next month—and will be a 50% cut in…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityAny expansion at Heathrow is of course a matter for the airport itself; it is a private company and will be making the decision as to whether to expand. However, there are many…13 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland and Great Britain: Regional ConnectivityMy noble friend will be well aware that the Government have limited levers when it comes to slots. However, there are some things that we can do. Slots are allocated by an…13 Mar 2023