Contributions
1,335 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)The Minister refers to the cost of concessions. Has he made an assessment, or is he aware of what the assessed cost would be, of removing the time restriction, as proposed in new…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)It is rather unedifying to see the Government hiding behind arguments about article 8. If they seriously thought that article 8 was a practical consideration that prevented the…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Seventh sitting)I am grateful for the intervention. I agree with everything that my hon. Friend said. Moving on, new clause 53 would require a review of the minimum level of bus services required…03 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I will speak to amendment 51 in my name and set it in the context of clause 22. Subsection (1) repeals section 22 of the Bus Services Act 2017, which stated that the relevant…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)I am grateful for that intervention; I stand corrected, as I was talking about clause 27. I do not know where clause 23 came from—my subconscious. Subsection (2) clarifies that…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)I agree with everything that the hon. Member for North Norfolk said. As I hope I made clear in my opening remarks, this would undoubtedly improve the service provided not just for…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dame Siobhain. I have concluded my remarks on this group.01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)Given my criticisms of the hon. Gentleman’s drafting of previous amendments, I am sure he is delighted to raise this drafting concern. I respectfully disagree with him, as new…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Will the Minister give way?01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)I am grateful for that intervention; my hon. Friend is right. I do not want to demonise cyclists. Cyclists are not out there actively trying to mow down pedestrians seeking to…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)Committee members will be pleased to hear that I will whip through the clauses quite quickly. Clause 15 amends the Transport Act 2000 to widen the measures that can be taken by a…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)It is extraordinary to hear the Minister say that, given the entire sector is shouting from the rooftops that it will be an existential crisis for the provision of SEND travel. I…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)My hon. Friend is quite right, but in partial defence of the Government’s position, they are not requiring a change; they are facilitating a change should a local authority choose…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fifth sitting)What a clever, clever intervention. Floating bus stops were introduced in 2013 under the coalition Government; I fully accept that. I was first elected in 2019, so I could not…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)The Minister did a good job of précising the contents of the clause, so I will not repeat that—I know everybody will breathe a big sigh of relief. However, there are some issues;…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I am not persuaded by the Minister’s arguments, valiant though they were. I therefore intend to press the amendment to a vote. Question put, That the amendment be made.01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 51, in clause 22, page 16, line 31, at end insert— “(4A) In relation to the award of a local service contract by one or more franchising authorities…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)This clause is sensible. The Minister is right that it will streamline the objection process, so that instead of having to wait for a month to see whether anyone has objected, the…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)We have struggled with some clauses in the Bill, but clause 24 is perhaps the most opaque of all the clauses we have been asked to consider. It takes quite a while to go through…01 Jul 2025HANSARDBus Services (No. 2) Bill [ Lords ] (Fourth sitting)The Minister was looking at his officials. I do not want to put him on the spot—obviously, I do, but not really—if this is a question to which he does not immediately know the…01 Jul 2025