Contributions
625 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsCertainly. The 40-year-old laws on powered mobility devices will be brought up to date to better support those who use electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters. I can confirm…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThere are 14 questions now, Mr Speaker. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that I launched the bus manufacturers expert panel, which is working with mayoral combined authorities,…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesIt takes real brass neck for the right hon. Gentleman to pipe up on this issue. It was his party that oversaw 300 million miles of bus cuts. In one year alone in which he was a…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThe Bus Services Act empowers local leaders to choose the model that works best for their area. It includes a measure on socially necessary local services. Under that new measure,…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Transport Authority Funding Settlements: BusesThe Government published the long-term, multi-year allocations for local transport authorities under the local authority bus grant in December last year, giving local authorities…08 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI will indeed. It is for local highway authorities to determine the most appropriate measures to achieve the gritting of roads based on local circumstances. We continue to offer…08 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI agree that waiting times have been too high for too long, which is why this Government are taking the decisive action that I have talked about. We are reforming the booking…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesI am concerned to hear that. Disabled passengers much be able to use the buses as easily as non-disabled passengers, and from October, most local bus services must provide…08 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsOnce again we see the brass neck of the right hon. Gentleman. The National Audit Office, in a report published in December, was very clear that “DfT had limited involvement in…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThe Tees Valley Mayor has all the powers and funding from the Labour Government to fix the buses, so it is disappointing, if not surprising, that he is choosing not to do so. In…08 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Secretary of State announced various new measures at the Transport Committee to continue to bring down the waiting times for learner drivers. [ Interruption. ] Look, what I…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThe multi-year allocations that we are providing to local authorities will give passengers greater certainty about their local bus services, allowing local leaders better to…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesI have met Go Ahead, which is working with the council to pick up services that otherwise would have been lost. The Government are providing long-term investment for bus services,…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesGovernment funding to improve bus services for passengers should do just that, and should protect vital services. It is frankly shocking that Lib Dem-led Bournemouth, Christchurch…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesAs I have already mentioned, the Government have provided over £3 billion of funding across the country. Importantly, we are giving local leaders the power to take back control of…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThe community bus network does a fantastic job, and I join the right hon. Gentleman in commending the work of those organisations across the country.08 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsI commend my hon. Friend for securing those improvements. This Government are committed to modernising our roads and getting Britain moving, which is why we have already announced…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesI have already mentioned the fantastic benefits of the Bus Services Act. It gives local leaders the tools that they need to take back control of their bus services, and to shape…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThe Government recently allocated Shropshire £13 million of bus funding from 2026-27, and for the first time the formula used to calculate allocations now includes consideration…08 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Bus ServicesThe local authority bus grant allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing…08 Jan 2026