Bus Services Nick Fletcher (Don Valley) (Con) 1. What steps he is
taking to help ensure the continuity of bus services. Mike Amesbury
(Weaver Vale) (Lab) 11. What assessment he has made of the
implications for his policies of trends in the number of bus
services in England since 2019. Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con) 12.
What steps he is taking to help ensure the continuity of bus
services. Luke Pollard (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Lab/Co-op)
23. What...Request free trial
Bus Services
(Don Valley) (Con)
1. What steps he is taking to help ensure the continuity of bus
services.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
11. What assessment he has made of the implications for his
policies of trends in the number of bus services in England since
2019.
(Blyth Valley) (Con)
12. What steps he is taking to help ensure the continuity of bus
services.
(Plymouth, Sutton and
Devonport) (Lab/Co-op)
23. What assessment he has made of the impact of reductions to
bus services on local communities.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ( )
Covid-19 resulted in significant reductions to bus service levels
and passenger numbers. To mitigate that, the Government have
provided more than £2 billion in emergency and recovery funding
to keep vital bus services running. On 17 February, we announced
a further extension to that support until 30 June. As a result,
bus service provision in England outside London remained at more
than 85% of pre-covid levels in 2021-22, despite patronage and
commercial fare revenue remaining significantly lower.
Stagecoach bus services from Doncaster to Worksop—numbers 21, 22
and 25—have daily cancellations due to driver shortages that have
been going on for a long time. Posts are put on the Tickhill
Community Forum on Facebook by Clare Cutts every day. At a time
when we need to shop more locally and support our economy, what
more can we do to put pressure on bus companies to deliver the
services that we need?
Mr Holden
My hon. Friend, who is a champion for his Don Valley
constituency, raises an important issue. I know how important
local bus services are to him and to people across the country,
and how constituents can be frustrated by service cancellations.
Bus operators are facing a number of challenges, which the
Government continue to work with the sector to address. I look
forward to meeting him in Don Valley in the coming weeks to
discuss the issue further with him and other operators.
On Monday evening, I got a letter from Arriva North West about 13
bus routes being scrapped and two depots being closed in the
Northwich part of my constituency, as a result of a strategy
called “Bus Back Better”. What is better about that? What will
the Minister do to ensure that my constituents can get to their
place of work, school or college and go about their everyday
business? I ask him to step in.
Mr Holden
The hon. Member raises some important questions. I know that
Conservative colleagues have met Arriva in recent days, and I met
my hon. Friend the Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Mullan) and
my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Eddisbury () about the Arriva issues in
the area yesterday. My understanding is that D&G Bus is
already looking to provide some of the services that Arriva has
decided to remove itself from. I note the hon. Member’s concern
about the issue and if he would like to meet me, I would be
delighted.
Effective and reliable public transport is essential for our
local communities. Reductions in local services in Blyth Valley,
including the X10 and X11 to Newcastle, mean that my constituents
plan their journeys only to find that the buses are late or
simply not coming at all. Many groups who are already at a
disadvantage, including the young, the old and people on a low
income, rely on those vital services to access healthcare,
education and leisure. It is critical that we do not let them
down. Will my hon. Friend assure me that we will do everything we
can to ensure that those bus services run effectively?
Mr Holden
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The Government know how
important bus services are to local communities across the
country, which is why we recently announced additional investment
of £155 million not only to continue protecting those services
but to ensure a three-month extension to the £2 cap on bus fares
to help working people in places such as Blyth Valley who are
getting out there every day. We want to help to address the cost
of living crisis and encourage people back on to our network. We
are committed to working with the sector to ensure that bus
services reflect the needs of communities and deliver our
ambition for everyone with access everywhere.
I do not expect the Minister to know about the 31 bus route in
Plymouth, but I do expect him to care about the people who can no
longer get that bus because it has been axed—the older people who
cannot get to their GP or hospital appointments as easily or
bring back their shopping from town. Will the Minister agree to
adopt Labour’s policy of handing power over bus routes back to
communities? Will he finally give the south-west its fair share
of bus funding?
Mr Holden
I thank the hon. Member for his question. Plymouth City Council
receives £85,000 a year through the bus service operators grant
and has been allocated a total of £599,000 in emergency and
recovery funding for bus services since March 2020. I would be
delighted to look at that further, and look forward to visiting
Plymouth in the near future.
Mr Speaker
We now come to the shadow Minister.
(Wakefield)
(Lab/Co-op)
In 2020, the Government promised to deliver 4,000 zero-emission
buses in this Parliament, but just 341 have been ordered, and
only six are on our roads. At this rate, it will take 23 years to
meet that target, and we will not get diesel buses off our roads
completely until the end of the century. With manufacturers ready
to deliver a brighter, greener future for Britain’s buses, when
will the Minister get out of first gear and match their
ambition?
Mr Holden
The hon. Member has clearly missed our announcement this morning
of extra buses across the country—an extra £25 million going into
York, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and the West Yorkshire Combined
Authority and delivering 3,452 zero-emission buses, to date, on
that 4,000 target, so we will definitely get there before the end
of the Parliament.
Mr Speaker
I did not hear Chorley in that, but maybe the Minister will talk
to me later.
Electric Vehicles: Zero Emissions
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
2. What recent progress he has made on the implementation of the
zero emission mandate for electric vehicles. [R]
Mr Speaker
Go on, Minister.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is great to see you in such robust form
this morning, if I may say so.
A technical consultation on the zero-emission vehicle mandate
design’s features was held between April and June of last year.
Responses to that consultation are currently being analysed, and
the Government will publish their response, alongside a final
consultation on the full regulatory proposal, and an accompanying
cost-benefit analysis, in the near future.
The industry is extremely concerned about the timings, and fears
that it will be left with just six months before implementation
on 1 January 2024. Most industry observers would say that at
least 24 months is needed for a successful mandate to be
introduced. Does he agree that the industry should be concerned
about this, and that we need to act much more quickly? Should the
Government not also be looking at delivering an infrastructure
mandate?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his questions. Of course, he will
be aware that this is an extremely complex issue, because it
involves manufacturers, charge-point providers, energy suppliers
and other players in this important and evolving market. There
was a Green Paper consultation in 2021. There has been a second
consultation on technical issues, as I say, and we work very
closely with all those players, and the industry, precisely to
ensure that, when this lands with all of its complexities, which
it will do in the near future, it lands properly, effectively,
and to the benefit of all.
(Gainsborough) (Con)
The constituency of Gainsborough is 600 square miles, and it
takes half an hour to get anywhere even when travelling at the
speed limit. What is the Government plan to help rural areas when
electric vehicles become mandatory for sale in 2030?
As my right hon. Friend will be aware, the Government’s plan is
for more than 300,000 charge points to be in place by then. That
will be led largely by the private sector, and we meet regularly
with all the charge point operators. Their plans are escalating
and will be massively supported and benefited by the
zero-emission vehicle mandate. With that, and technological
advances, we anticipate that there will be ample opportunity for
people in rural areas to use electric vehicles.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Sheffield, Brightside and
Hillsborough) (Lab)
Last year, UK car production slumped to a 66-year low. The covid
pandemic, supply chain shortages, and chaos at Dover have left
this key industry fighting for survival. Manufacturers are crying
out for a shred of certainty, but far from supporting them and
the 150,000 workers they employ, this Government are leaving them
in a state of limbo. With less than a year to go before it takes
effect, why is the Minister still keeping the design of the
zero-emission vehicle mandate a well-guarded secret? When can
manufacturers expect finally to get some clarity from the
Government to allow them to plan for the future?
The hon. Lady wildly overstates the issue with regard to electric
vehicles. In 2022, we had the second largest market across Europe
for electric vehicles, which demonstrates the level of energy and
support we are giving the industry, including £2 billion of
public money. We consult closely with both large car
manufacturers and small manufacturers, who have quite different
interests in many different ways. They will be quite comfortable
with this important mandate when it comes out, and they will be
because we have consulted extensively on it with them over the
past two years.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
Although we support a zero-emission vehicle mandate to accelerate
the switch to zero-emission driving, the Government need to get a
grip on it. Businesses—be they manufacturers, dealerships or
fleet purchasers—cannot plan, and consumers are in the dark. That
chimes with the overall approach to zero-emission driving, with
just over 7,000 EV charging installations last year when 33,000
are required annually to meet the 300,000 target. Will we hear
more about the mandate, the charger network expansion and
equalising the VAT levied on home charging versus street charging
in the upcoming Budget?
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that I will not comment on the
Budget; as a former Financial Secretary, I will certainly not
attempt to trespass on the Treasury’s prerogative on tax issues.
What he will know, of course, is that the vast majority of that
investment is coming from the private sector. Of course, that
will itself be massively boosted by the zero-emission vehicle
mandate. I met one of the largest charge point operators only
this week, and they were perfectly clear that the one thing that
will do more than anything else, not just to reduce carbon but to
support the development of that industry and that transition, is
the mandate, which we will publish, as I say, in the near
future.
Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
(Glasgow South West)
(SNP)
3. What recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet
colleagues, (b) transport sector bodies and (c) trade unions on
the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.
The Secretary of State for Transport ( )
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to start by offering
our sincere condolences to the people of Greece following the
terrible rail accident yesterday. My thoughts, and I am sure
those of the whole House, are with the victims, first responders
and all those affected. The Prime Minister has written to the
Greek Prime Minister to offer the Government’s condolences, and
we stand with our colleagues in Greece, ready to offer assistance
should they require it.
Turning to the hon. Gentleman’s question, I meet regularly with
Cabinet colleagues and transport industry stakeholders to discuss
industrial action, including facilitating a fair and reasonable
offer for the trade unions, which I was pleased to see Transport
Salaried Staffs Association members vote in favour of last week.
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill aims to balance the
ability of workers to take strike action with the needs of the
public to go about their daily lives. The 12-week consultation on
minimum service levels for passenger rail provides the
opportunity for the public and stakeholders, including trade
unions and transport bodies, to provide their views.
May I associate myself with the comments that the Secretary of
State made about the situation in Greece? Our thoughts and
prayers are with those affected.
The Department’s consultation document for rail minimum services
legislation seeks views on setting a minimum service level in
Scotland, which is interesting because the responsibility for
ScotRail and Caledonian sleeper services are devolved to the
Scottish Parliament. Will the Secretary of State meet me, as part
of the consultation process, to discuss what the response of his
Department will be if the Scottish Parliament refuses to
implement the minimum services legislation because it assesses
that the legislation is not conducive to good industrial
relations and dispute resolution?
Mr Harper
The hon. Gentleman will know that the purpose and substance of
the Bill is to regulate employment rights and duties, and
industrial relations. Those are reserved matters that are within
the responsibility of the UK Government. In the consultation on
passenger rail in Great Britain, we of course welcome the views
of devolved Administrations. My hon. Friend the Minister
responsible for rail has already had such conversations with
Transport Ministers from the Scottish Government.
Aviation: Noise and Fuel
(Twickenham) (LD)
4. What recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of
the potential (a) health and (b) economic impact of noise
pollution on communities below aircraft flightpaths.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Government recognise that there are impacts associated with
aircraft noise and keep all relevant evidence under review. The
Department for Transport has previously commissioned research on
the effects of aviation noise on annoyance, health and wellbeing,
and has tasked the Civil Aviation Authority to carry out a
further survey this year. All major airports are required, as the
hon. Lady will be aware, to map their noise impacts on a common
basis every five years, and some do so annually.
I thank the Minister for his response. My constituents and
thousands of residents across west and south-west London and
neighbouring counties constantly have to put up with the roaring
engines of aircraft overhead at all hours of the day and during
much of the night. There are real fears, based on international
evidence, that that noise may intensify as a result of airspace
modernisation. Will the Minister commit to reinstating the
independent noise ombudsman, and to working with Environment
Ministers to make aircraft noise a statutory nuisance, so that
those residents might have some redress in future?
The hon. Lady will be aware that there have been noise-related
restrictions on major airports including Heathrow for many years
and, more recently, noise maps and noise action plans at
Heathrow. Of course, we recognise the seriousness of this issue.
It is worth saying that technology is already making a
significant difference—new aircraft models make 30% to 50% less
noise on take-off and landing—but we intend to consult later this
year on proposals for the next night-flight regime, beginning in
October 2025.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Wythenshawe and Sale East)
(Lab)
The Secretary of State made no commitment on the production of
sustainable aviation fuel in the UK at a recent airports
conference. This week, the Minister for aviation in the other
place said at a pilots reception that airspace modernisation was
stuck in the muck. The Government’s Jet Zero Council has achieved
exactly what it said on the tin: zero. Labour has a plan for a
cleaner, greener future. Get your finger out, Secretary of
State!
It seems to have passed the hon. Gentleman by that we had a
detailed consultation on SAF investment. We have put £165 million
into the advanced fuels fund to support five UK sustainable
aviation fuel plants, which builds on the “Green Fuels, Green
Skies” competition, and we plan to introduce a sustainable
aviation fuels mandate in 2025. Modernisation is an extremely
complex issue, but it is also vital, in part in order to ensure a
more protective approach where possible to the issue of noise
impact, as highlighted by the hon. Member for Twickenham ().
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee.
(Milton Keynes South)
(Con)
May I draw my right hon. Friend’s attention to the Transport
Committee’s report published today on alternative fuels? One of
our recommendations is to build on the work the Government have
already done on SAF by introducing a contracts for difference
model, which would help to make the UK a world leader in this
technology.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his report and the work he is
doing as the new Chair of the Transport Committee. We are aware
of the calls for CfDs. He may have seen the report published by
Philip New on this issue. We are already working on not merely
the mandate but a clearing house to support testing and
certification. Of course, we will continue to look at the
question of CfDs, but the mandate and the work we are doing
towards that remains the Government policy, and rightly so.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
Decarbonising aviation is difficult, and no one would say
otherwise, but there are quick wins to reduce carbon, such as
airspace modernisation, which is likely to cost under £30
million, and sustainable aviation fuels, which will be the bridge
fuel until future forms of propulsion are introduced. The
Government have provided some funding for SAF plants in England
and Wales, but the support is dwarfed by support offered
elsewhere. Without a CfD model in place to support SAFs, the
Government will not get their five plants operating by their
target date, and they are nowhere near their long-term targets
for SAF use, are they?
It is interesting that the hon. Gentleman raises the question of
airspace modernisation. He may not be aware that the
environmental benefits are already in place. The introduction of
free route airspace in 2021 over Scotland is estimated by
National Air Traffic Services to save the carbon dioxide
equivalent of the power used by 3,500 family homes every year. He
is right that this is a complex issue, but it is also one on
which the Government are taking a wide range of energetic
measures, and we will continue to pursue those, as we have
described.
Road Condition
(Blackpool South) (Con)
6. What steps he is taking to help improve road conditions.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ( )
During this Parliament, the Government are investing over £5
billion in highways maintenance for local authorities across
England outside London. That is in addition to the sustainable
transport settlements provided to eligible mayoral combined
authorities. It is up to each local highway authority to decide
how best to spend that funding, and the Government do not
generally intervene or override local decision making in these
matters.
Additional Government funding for road maintenance has made a
significant difference to the quality of road surfaces across
many local authorities, including my own in Blackpool. Ahead of
the Budget, can the Minister reassure the House that he will
continue to lobby the Treasury for additional funding to spend on
local roads in England?
Mr Holden
I was delighted to visit recently the site near my hon. Friend’s
constituency. Great investment is going into the road to link
Windy Harbour to Skippool. That is something that I know he has
been campaigning for, alongside our hon. Friends the Members for
Fylde () and for Blackpool North and
Cleveleys ().
As part of the 2021 spending review, the Department worked hard
with the highways sector to develop a strong and evidence-based
case to the Treasury for a long-term highway maintenance
settlement. I assure my hon. Friend that I will continue to make
every effort this time, pushing equally strongly—perhaps even
more strongly —for sustainable funding for our highways. However,
it is worth reflecting on the fact that more money is an
important factor, but how we decide to spend it is also very
important. I look forward to campaigning with him for a council
that can really deliver for the people of Blackpool over the
coming months.
Mr Speaker
Based on these answers, I hope we are not going to have this for
the next two years.
(Barnsley East) (Lab)
Highway maintenance funding continues to be cut for the remainder
of this Parliament, resulting in over a tenth of our roads
falling into poor condition. When will the Minister finally bring
our roads up to the standards that people expect?
Mr Holden
The hon. Lady should reflect on the fact that we have put £5
billion into pothole funding between 2020 and 2025, with millions
of potholes being filled every year. The three-year settlement
for highways maintenance announced in the spending review is
there, and as I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool
South (), I will be pushing the
Treasury for more money to go in this direction.
Rail Modernisation
(Sedgefield) (Con)
7. What recent assessment he has made of whether railways require
modernisation.
(Dewsbury) (Con)
24. What steps he is taking to help ensure efficient and reliable
rail services.
The Secretary of State for Transport ( )
The railway needs fundamental reform and, last month, I set out
how this Government will deliver it. We will move towards a more
customer-focused and commercially led industry, bringing track
and train together through the creation of Great British Railways
as a new guiding mind for the sector. While we move forward with
reform, the Government continue to hold both train operators and
Network Rail to account to deliver the punctual and reliable
services that passengers and taxpayers rightly expect.
Modernisation takes many forms and, in my constituency of
Sedgefield, we eagerly await the modernisation of infrastructure
through Ferryhill station’s bid under the Restoring Your Railways
scheme, which will be the first stage on the Leamside line. We
also have Hitachi Rail, which has played a significant role in
levelling up the north-east since the factory was opened by the
Conservative Prime Minister in 2015. Hitachi has created
800 highly-skilled jobs in the region since that factory opened,
and is also driving vital innovation in battery and digital
technology to modernise the railways. I ask my right hon. Friend
to confirm that his Department will make prompt decisions on the
business cases under Restoring Your Railways.
Mr Speaker
Order. [Interruption.] No, I will decide when you sit down. Sit!
We are meant to be asking questions, not make a War and Peace
statement before we get there. Come on, quickly.
Apologies, Mr Speaker. To conclude, I ask my right hon. Friend to
visit my constituency and see these outstanding
opportunities.
Mr Harper
The Government recognise the contribution of Hitachi to the
railway supply chain, particularly its success in winning 89% of
long-distance orders since 2010, including the order for High
Speed 2 rolling stock. It is important that the Government give
full and careful consideration to business cases for new orders,
to make sure that they offer best value to the taxpayer, and I
recognise my hon. Friend’s continued support for the reopening of
Ferryhill station, as well as the work undertaken by Network Rail
and Durham County Council. The business case for that scheme has
been updated and is being carefully considered by the Department,
alongside all bids under the Restoring Your Railways scheme.
After being inundated with complaints from the people of
Dewsbury, Mirfield, Kirkburton and Denby Dale, does my right hon.
Friend agree that the TransPennine Express rail service is no
longer fit for purpose?
Mr Harper
I welcome that question. I am clear, and have made it very clear
to TP, that the current service is unacceptable. That company has
delivered a detailed and measurable recovery plan aimed at
building back a reliable service, but any substantial improvement
to that service requires the co-operation of the trade unions,
which is yet to be forthcoming. I have weekly meetings to monitor
TP, and both I and the Rail Minister, my hon. Friend the Member
for Bexhill and Battle (), have recently met that company to discuss
performance improvement. TP’s current contract expires on 28 May
this year. The Department, in partnership with Transport for the
North, will make decisions in due course and, of course, update
the House accordingly.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
At the past two Transport questions, I have asked about
Yorkshire’s railway network. In November, the Minister, the hon.
Member for Bexhill and Battle (), said that assessing options for a new station in
Bradford was “an incredibly high priority”, and in January he
told me that the Sheffield to Leeds route study would be out
“shortly”. I have not heard anything more about either since.
When can we expect some good news in Yorkshire?
Mr Harper
The good news for the hon. Gentleman is that we have made
progress on that, and we are hoping to set out what will happen
on that publicly in the very near future. He does not have too
long to wait and I hope he will have news that he will
welcome.
(Bath) (LD)
Network Rail has said that 278 miles of track must be electrified
every year to reach net zero. Last year, the Government added
only 1.4 miles of newly electrified track, including Bath, and we
are still waiting for electrification. To meet our net zero
targets, will the Secretary of State commit to electrifying all
new railway lines?
Mr Harper
The hon. Lady will know that we have electrified 1,200 miles of
the rail network in Great Britain since 2010, and that work
continues. We clearly think that electrifying the rail network is
important for our net zero commitments, and we will continue to
make progress. I hope she will welcome that.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)
TransPennine Express has been providing unacceptable levels of
service to the north and the midlands for years—well prior to
covid—and now they are at truly dire levels. The operator of last
resort has made it clear to the Transport Committee that it has
capacity and can bring TransPennine Express under its remit. Is
the Secretary of State confirming that for ideological reasons he
will refuse to step in and provide a better service to the north
and the midlands?
Mr Harper
First, in an earlier answer, I said that the service was
currently unacceptable. One of the points I made is that, at the
moment, ASLEF is refusing to do rest-day working, which is a
significant problem. I did what I was asked to do and made sure
that a more generous offer for rest-day working could be made.
ASLEF is refusing to do so. It requires the co-operation of all
involved in rail services to deliver a good service. On the
specific contract, it expires on 28 May. We will make decisions
and announce them to the House in due course, but I say to the
hon. Lady that, if we take services into the operator of last
resort, we take over all the things and take them with us. If we
do not resolve the issues with the trade unions, then just taking
in those services will not actually improve the services to
passengers at all. Her obsession with nationalising things is
ideological. We want to improve the services for passengers.
Railways Funding and HS2
(Swansea West)
(Lab/Co-op)
8. How much funding his Department plans to provide for railways
in (a) Wales and (b) England during the remaining HS2
construction period.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Good morning, Mr Speaker. The HS2 construction period extends
beyond the horizon of the five-year funding cycles for Network
Rail. When it comes to the existing railway, £44 billion has been
committed from 2024 to 2029—a 4% real terms increase on
maintenance and renewals to keep the railway running safely and
reliably.
The Minister is aware of the compelling case for Wales to get its
population share of HS2, which is £5 billion—particularly as
Scotland has had its share—in the light of years of
under-investment. He will also be aware that Transport for Wales
has worked up £2.5 billion of projects to be delivered in the
next 10 to 15 years. Will he commit his officials to working with
Transport for Wales to look at joint working and joint funding to
move ahead together, so that we can deliver higher productivity,
move towards net zero and strengthen the Union? Can we meet in
due course to discuss progress?
I very much enjoyed the meeting I had with the hon. Member and
Professor Mark Barry in January. In regard to the point he makes
about HS2, the UK Department for Transport is funded to spend
money on heavy rail infrastructure in Wales, rather than the
Welsh Government receiving Barnett-based funding. Conversely, the
Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive receive
Barnett-based funding, but rail in Scotland and Northern Ireland
does not benefit from any UK Department for Transport spending.
When it comes to the enhancement portfolio, which we are looking
to publish shortly, we very much expect to be working with our
partners across Wales, and I continue to make myself available to
meet the hon. Member to hear his ideas.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Ind)
Can the Minister confirm what plans he has for improving the
midland main line and reopening the Ivanhoe line through North
West Leicestershire? Has his Department done a cost-benefit
analysis of full electrification of the midlands main line, and
how does he think that might compare with the cost-benefits of
the eastern leg of HS2, which is set to run from Birmingham to
East Midlands Parkway?
The hon. Member makes the point and it is important that we link
those projects together so that the full benefits of HS2 drive
the enhancements we make to the existing railway, and indeed vice
versa. I am happy to write to him to set out further details with
regard to the projects he has mentioned.
HS2: Preventing Fraud
Dame (South Northamptonshire)
(Con)
9. What steps the Government are taking to prevent fraud
associated with HS2; and if he will make a statement.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
The Department requires HS2 Ltd to adopt and implement policies
and practices to guard against fraud. HS2 Ltd has an experienced
counter-fraud team to protect taxpayer funds against the threats
of fraud, bribery, corruption and other malpractice. HS2 Ltd
further works with the Department, the Public Sector Fraud
Authority, law enforcement and supply chain partners to ensure
that Government counter-fraud standards are met or exceeded.
Dame
My constituents in South Northamptonshire remain angry and
disillusioned about not just the way that their reasonable
requests for proper mitigation and compensation are ignored and
delayed by HS2, but the huge amount of waste they see daily. I
would like the Minister to expand on how, with costs spiralling
out of control, he will deliver good value for taxpayers’
money.
I have every sympathy with the constituents of my right hon.
Friend and others on the line of route. There is disruption, but
we seek to minimise and mitigate it. I am aware of the area she
represents as my family live close by. I have a meeting with her
and officials next week to go through cases she has. I would just
say that HS2 will really deliver for this country: 30,000 people
employed; 2,500 businesses supporting HS2; 97% of that supply
chain in the UK. There are impacts, but there will also be great
delivery once the line is built.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
As the Minister will know, plans for the construction of HS2 to
Manchester involve the severing and mothballing of the Metrolink
line through my constituency to Ashton-under-Lyne. We have put a
sensible counter-proposal to HS2 to keep that line open and
provide a new depot for the maintenance and storage of the trams.
HS2 says that it will cost so much money to do that—more than the
cost of installing the entire Metrolink line in the first
place—that it cannot be done. What actual oversight is there of
the fantasy figures coming out of HS2?
There is great oversight of the figures. It relates to the
question asked by my right hon. Friend the Member for South
Northamptonshire (Dame ). A report is put out every
six months to show the transparency and we do bear down on costs.
With regard to the matter mentioned by the hon. Member, I have
been to Manchester and heard about the issues there. The problem
is that the current two depots are on one side; it would actually
make more sense, when the line is built, for them to be on either
side. I know that officials from HS2 and the Department for
Transport are in discussions with the team in Greater Manchester.
The matter is before the Bill Committee, so it would not be
appropriate for me to go into further detail.
Southeastern Railway
(Eltham) (Lab)
10. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the
performance of Southeastern Railway since its timetable change on
11 December 2022.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Southeastern’s new timetable was designed to improve resilience.
The operator faced some initial challenges introducing the new
timetable, so established a joint taskforce with Network Rail to
identify and resolve issues. Changes have already been made,
including adding services and carriages where required and we are
already seeing an improvement. The taskforce will continue to
monitor performance and make changes as required.
I am grateful for the Minister’s answer and for his letter of the
28th of last month, but, as he will know, that very evening,
there was yet another dangerous incident at London Bridge due to
overcrowding. On 7 February, I was on a train which, due to
delayed trains, was so overcrowded that someone fainted in my
carriage. The system has been cut back to the point where there
is no slack in it. Whenever there is a delay, there is dangerous
overcrowding. The Minister has to address that before something
serious happens to an individual. We were told that there would
be no delays when the new system was brought in, because it would
be so efficient that we would not have any of that congestion,
but it has been worse. The Minister has to face up to that. He
gave Southeastern permission to do that. We need to change the
timetable.
The hon. Member will be receiving another letter from me this
morning, because I have always said that I would listen, as did
the Secretary of State, and that we would try to make
improvements as the case was demonstrated. I want to thank my
right hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford ( ) and my hon. Friend the
Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French), who have met me and
the Secretary of State to make the case for their constituents. I
can confirm that we have agreed to the reinstatement of a direct
off-peak service to Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line, which
will run hourly, Monday to Saturday. This service will be in
addition to the current timetable, meaning a total of 309
services will operate each week direct to and from Charing Cross
on this line. I hope the hon. Member will welcome that good
news.
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
If the Minister had been on the 8.27 from Chislehurst today, he
would not have seen very much by way of improvements, that is for
sure, because it ran late, as ever. Is not the problem that,
because of the loss of direct services on the Hayes line into
Charing Cross and equally the cutback in direct services on the
north Kent line into Cannon Street, unsustainable numbers of
people are having to change trains at London Bridge? I have seen
the chaos there, and I have actually stood outside the station,
because it has had to be closed on occasions. It is not safe,
Minister. At some point, somebody will get injured or killed as a
result of this.
Mr Speaker
Order.
Will the Minister please get officials to sit down with
south-east London MPs and get this sorted out?
Mr Speaker
Order. Sir Robert, do not tempt my patience. Come on,
Minister.
Of course, I am very sorry about that issue. As my hon. Friend
points out, there was a points failure, which caused issues in
terms of crowd controls at London Bridge. I have spoken to
Network Rail and it is looking to work with Transport for London,
which of course has experience of overcrowded tubes, and we will
learn lessons from that. However, I also hope that he will have
heard about the changes we are making. The timetable change was
brought in to try to add more resilience and to reduce
cancellations, but we have got issues with Network Rail
infrastructure and of course we have industrial action. All those
matters I seek to resolve.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Slough) (Lab)
First, may I pay my respects following the tragic rail crash in
Greece? I am sure that the thoughts and prayers of the whole
House will be with our Greek friends.
Last year, the Minister oversaw timetable changes on Southeastern
routes, but the Government refused to consult on those changes
because they did not want to listen to passengers. In a
parliamentary debate in December, secured by my hon. Friend the
Member for Eltham (), I and indeed hon. Members
from across the House warned the Minister that the upcoming
changes and cancellations of Southeastern routes would be bad for
passengers and would lead to overcrowding, but he did not listen.
Now that these changes have caused the predictable chaos he was
warned about, will the Minister finally listen and end the misery
this Government are inflicting upon Southeastern passengers?
That is patently not the case, because during that debate I made
it quite clear that consultations would be better than they had
been. I also made it quite clear that I would listen and, if the
case were made to change the timetable, I would do so. This
morning—obviously, earlier than the lines that have been
written—we announced that these changes had been made. In fact,
the very first individuals to be made aware of that were the MPs.
They have had that information first; it is important to me that
they receive that information first. We will continue to listen
and learn. We had to make savings on Southeastern, and £10
million was taken off. The savings are because season tickets
collapsed to 32% of pre-covid levels. If the hon. Member is
pledging to fund the railway no matter what and make no
changes—
Mr Speaker
Order. Minister, I think we have got the message. Can I just say
to Members that this is about equality in going from one side to
the other? I know it is important, and I am sure if you catch my
eye during topicals you may have a chance of getting in then, but
do not glare at me because I am trying to be politically right
for both sides.
(Warley) (Lab)
Keynes said, “When the facts change, I change my mind.” It is
quite clear that patterns of business travel have changed
dramatically post covid, yet when I asked the Minister this week
about the balance between first class and standard class travel
in the north and the midlands, not only did he not know, but he
did not even seem to be interested. Will the Minister now, with
these changing business patterns, re-examine the case for HS2, or
is he just frightened of the answer?
I am not frightened of the answer at all. I am an advocate for
HS2 because, as I have mentioned, it will level up the country,
interconnect our great cities, reduce the time for a train to
Manchester by 54 minutes to one hour and 11 minutes, and deliver
not just jobs for this country, but jobs we can export to other
high-speed rail lines across the world.
Rolling Stock Manufacturing: North-east England
(Washington and Sunderland
West) (Lab)
14. What recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of
the future viability of rolling stock manufacturing in the
north-east.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Me again, Mr Speaker.
The Government recognise the importance of the rolling stock
supply chain on both the national and local economies. Since
2010, over 5,300 vehicles ordered by train operators in the UK
have been assembled at manufacturing facilities across the
country, reflecting in the region of £10.6 billion on orders for
rolling stock built in the UK since 2010.
Mrs Hodgson
As we have already heard this morning, Hitachi Rail is one of the
anchors of north-east manufacturing expertise and innovation,
supporting hundreds of jobs at the Newton Aycliffe site and
thousands more in the wider supply chain, and it is incredible
that the north-east will have a role in manufacturing the UK’s
very first high speed trains for HS2. However, in the interim
will the Minister now provide urgent clarity on the short-term
rolling stock pipeline so that this exemplar of north-east
manufacturing continues to support regional and economic growth
long into the future?
I was up in the north-east, in Tyne and Wear, last week, where it
was a pleasure to meet the Tyne and Wear Metro Nexus team as they
unveiled their new Class 555 trains, and I wish them well in that
endeavour. Hitachi was one of the bidders for that and of course
over 1,000 carriages have been built at the Newton Aycliffe
plant, including orders for Great Western, TransPennine Express,
East Midlands Railway and West Coast. I will happily write to the
hon. Lady to give her the answer she seeks, but I assure her that
I am supportive of all our great railway manufacturers in this
country.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)
Last month I was delighted to visit the Hitachi Rail
manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, where 800 highly
skilled employees are delivering world-class manufacturing
excellence. They told me that they need certainty from the
Government, but briefings, leaks and rumour about the future of
HS2 are pouring out of this Department. Will the Minister
categorically deny that his Department is working on any plans
that would slash what is left of the eastern leg and leave
Yorkshire and the north-east permanently entirely cut off by
cutting high-speed platforms at Euston?
I hope I made it clear, in answer to one of the hon. Member’s
colleagues who was not as supportive of HS2 as I am, that we are
absolutely committed to delivering HS2 trains from London to
Manchester and going over to the east as well, but of course we
have to look at cost pressures. It is absolutely right that HS2
focuses on costs; that should be expected of the Government and
the taxpayer. We will continue to do so, but I can tell the hon.
Member that I am absolutely committed, as are the Secretary of
State and the entire Department, to delivering HS2 and the
benefits for this country.
Topical Questions
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Transport ( )
It may interest the House to know that today the Government are
investing £25 million to roll out 170 zero- emission buses on to
our streets. They are built in Northern Ireland by Wrightbus,
which I visited just a few weeks ago, and these buses will
benefit passengers and communities across Yorkshire, Norfolk and
Hampshire, showing how we are pulling together as a Union to
decarbonise transport. We have had a lot of conversations about
buses, so it is also worth noting that we have extended the bus
recovery grant and the popular £2 fare cap, renewing our
commitment to the bus sector, getting more passengers on board
and helping the public with the cost of living.
In Newcastle, we need reliable, affordable and accessible bus
services, but all we get is lame excuses and short-term sticking
plasters. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the bus
recovery grant will be extended past June, and when will he make
the much-promised, long overdue payment of £163 million to
Transport North East so that it can improve services?
Mr Harper
We have extended the bus recovery grant for a further quarter and
extended the £2 fare cap, which has been very popular. We are
currently working on our plans subsequent to June, but the hon.
Member will know that we work very closely with devolved Metro
Mayors across the country to devolve central Government funding
to them so that they can make the right decisions for their local
areas, and we will make further announcements in due course.
(Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(Con)
T4. Two weeks ago, I met members of Harrogate Youth
Council, who are running an anti-harassment campaign focusing on
public transport. Will my hon. Friend tell me what steps the
Government are taking to keep people, in particular young people,
safe on our buses and trains?
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
I welcome the work of the Harrogate Youth Council. They should be
aware that 95% of buses have CCTV. The trains I mentioned coming
up to Tyne and Wear have been designed to contain and reduce
antisocial behaviour. What I would really love to do is take the
Harrogate Youth Council’s ideas and, when I meet the British
Transport police chief constable next week, try to match them and
feed back to my hon. Friend.
Sir (Rhondda) (Lab)
T2. I am feeling very, very let down. I like at least two of
the Government Ministers—
Name them!
Sir
That would be unfair. Maybe three, even. But they keep offering a
meeting to bring together the Welsh Government, the British
Government and the local authorities that are interested in the
Rhondda tunnel. This has been going on forever and I never, ever
get that meeting. When is it going to happen?
I hope I am not the one the hon. Gentleman does not like. I can
assure him that if he checks his box, he will find an invitation
from the roads Minister, the Minister responsible for this at the
Department for Transport, the Under-Secretary of State, my hon.
Friend the Member for North West Durham (Mr Holden), to meet him
and the team from Wales. I hope that he will then be very happy
indeed and that we meet his expectations.
Mr Speaker
Will somebody please just go and look at this tunnel!
(Tewkesbury) (Con)
T7. While it is obviously right to develop other forms of
transport, does the Secretary of State agree with me that in
rural areas in particular the car is here to stay? Is it not
therefore very important that we have adequate road
infrastructure in place before any sizeable developments are
begun?
Mr Harper
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. About 60% of journeys are
made by car, and the car remains incredibly important,
particularly in rural areas like his and mine in Gloucestershire.
Almost half the Government’s budget for investing in the
strategic road network is for renewing, maintaining and operating
existing network, but he makes a very good point about ensuring
that, as we develop communities and businesses, the road
infrastructure is adequate for those developments. I have noted
his point carefully and will discuss it with the Secretary of
State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in due
course.
(Bootle) (Lab)
T5. I am sure the Secretary of State will agree that the
safety of hundreds of primary schoolchildren and parents who are
unable to use the demolished footbridge at the Park Lane junction
on the dangerous A5036, as a result of a lorry collision, is
paramount. Will he therefore instruct National Highways to stop
its bureaucratic stalling and replace it as a matter of
urgency?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport ( )
I would be delighted to. I speak to National Highways on a
regular basis. I will raise the hon. Gentleman’s point and write
to him.
(Christchurch) (Con)
National Highways has a statutory responsibility in many planning
applications, but it seems to be very tardy in coming to
conclusions, particularly on the Brocks Pine surf reef
application, off the A31, which has now been more than 18 months
in indecision. What will be done to ensure that National Highways
gets on with it and takes a decision, either yes or no?
Mr Holden
National Highways has been working with the applicant and its
transport consultants to resolve questions on this development.
The applicant has not yet provided National Highways with the
information it needs to enable it to provide a recommendation. I
will write to him when it does so.
(Swansea West)
(Lab/Co-op)
T8. In light of the Windsor framework, which will provide
more favourable economic conditions for trading in Northern
Ireland, will the Secretary of State consider providing more
transport infrastructure in Wales to mitigate that and to help
Wales take advantage of more trade into Northern Ireland and into
the single market via Ireland or Northern Ireland?
Mr Holden
I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman welcomes the Windsor
framework, which is a fantastic agreement with the European Union
to resolve the issues that resulted from the Northern Ireland
protocol. I hope every Member of this House will welcome it in
due course when they have had time to study it. His point about
Wales was, I think, answered by the rail Minister, the Minister
of State, Department for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for
Bexhill and Battle (). We work very closely with the Welsh Government. We
are looking at improvements in the rail network enhancement plan
and will make announcements in due course.
(South East Cornwall)
(Con)
Many people in England pay an additional road tax to cross a
river, be it the Humber, the Thames, the Tyne, the Mersey, the
Trent, the Itchen or the Tamar. In 2020, a freedom of information
request revealed that National Highways is responsible for
maintaining 9,392 road bridges already. Will the Department
investigate bringing all crossings on main routes under National
Highways control?
Mr Holden
My hon. Friend is a champion for the people of Cornwall. The
Department has no plans to introduce tolls anywhere else on the
strategic road network, which is a long-standing Government
policy. The provision, upkeep and operation of significant
crossings is funded by toll incomes at local level, but as
always, I would be happy to meet her to discuss that specific
local issue.
Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)
T6. A number of my constituents are sick with stress, trapped
in blighted homes with a pressing need to sell, but cannot do so
as a result of the East West Rail preferred route announcement
three years ago. Every day that the DFT dithers and delays
announcing the route is another day of misery for my
constituents. Will the Minister stop playing with people’s lives,
put a support package in place and get that handful of cases
sorted out today?
I am happy to meet the hon. Member. I recently had a tour around
both the options for East West Rail as it comes into Cambridge. I
know that he has issues with residents with properties on the
line of route, and I am happy to discuss those cases with him so
that I can better advise him and his constituents on how they can
get help.
(West Dorset) (Con)
Could the rail Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill
and Battle (), tell me the benefits that my constituents will see
with the recent award of the South Western Railway contract to
FirstGroup and MTR? I would be particularly keen to understand
whether the accessible footbridge for Dorchester South station is
contained within it.
On my hon. Friend’s second point, Dorchester South station is one
of 300 applications for the Access For All tranche, which will be
announced later this year. I assure him that South Western
Railway passengers will gain benefits from the continuity of the
service provider, including better real-time information to
passengers and other changes that we have in mind to improve the
passenger experience. I look forward to working with him on this
matter.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
T9. Will the Secretary of State or one of his Ministers
meet me to discuss the increased restrictions on the movement of
special types of general orders and abnormal loads, which are
having a hugely detrimental effect on companies such as Cadzow
Heavy Haulage in Blantyre?
Mr Holden
Yes.
(Rutland and Melton)
(Con)
The Minister and I have spoken almost daily about the Melton
bypass. Could he update me on his conversations with the Treasury
about that? I also thank the Government for the five upgrades
that they have delivered to the A1, where work has now
started.
Mr Holden
I am delighted that my hon. Friend is pleased with the work that
we are doing. She has been a real champion of it and has never
failed to bend my ear at every opportunity. I hope to make a
further announcement on this matter shortly.
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
I am worried that the Minister did not listen to concerns about
the Southeastern timetable from both sides of the House. I travel
from St Johns and every single day there are delays and
overcrowding. The timetable changes were not consulted on. It is
good that Ministers announced some changes, but why not reverse
them all and do the right thing? The service was better
before.
I reiterate that when season tickets are reduced by the figures
that we have seen—32% compared with pre-covid levels—we have to
make changes to add more resilience, to ensure that trains do not
have to cross lines, to reduce cancellations and to improve
punctuality. I am meeting the hon. Member and her rail service
groups because I do listen and, as has been reflected today, I
will make changes where they make sense.
(Colne Valley) (Con)
My hard-pressed constituents are still suffering a totally
unacceptable number of cancelled rail services by TransPennine
Express every morning—just yesterday from Huddersfield, the 6.49,
the 7.01, the 7.30, and the 7.46. How on earth are my
constituents expected to get to work, school, college or
university? When will TransPennine Express get a grip and when
will we strip them of the franchise?
As the Secretary of State made clear, we should all try to fix
the systemic problems that exist on the route. Let me give one
example: at the moment, when a driver calls in sick—and there are
sickness rates of 14%—another driver will cover it only if they
are working under rest day working. However, the unions will not
agree to rest day working, so the train gets cancelled. If hon.
Members are interested in fixing these issues, they should look
at the parties responsible and not just at the operator.
(Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)
Further to Question 4, the Minister will be aware of plans to
significantly increase flights in and out of London City airport
over my constituency and many others in east and south London.
Can he assure the House that a decision on the matter will not be
made while the Civil Aviation Authority’s survey of noise
pollution is still being conducted?
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
I obviously cannot comment on the situation at the moment, but
the hon. Gentleman’s point is well made. If he wishes to take the
matter up with the aviation Minister, I am sure that she would
welcome it.
(Bolton West) (Con)
What is the Minister doing to ensure there is better information
sharing among councils to deliver safer taxi and private hire
services across the country?
Mr Holden
My hon. Friend will know that his local council, Bolton, is one
of the best at information sharing with respect to taxi driving
licences across the country. I hope that councils such as
Birmingham, Manchester, Sefton, Newcastle and Liverpool will get
on board with the voluntary scheme before the mandatory element
kicks in soon, because we should not leave people at risk on our
services.
(Erith and Thamesmead)
(Lab)
When I met the Minister, he gave me assurances that Southeastern
timetables would improve in Erith and Thamesmead. He mentioned
this morning that all south-east London MPs had received an
update. I am one of the MPs who has not. There is an impact on my
constituency, so I would like to know why I have not received
that update. My hon. Friend the Member for Eltham () has kindly shown me the
letter, which partially addresses some of the issues with
off-peak services on the Bexley line, but does not address over-
crowding across the board, most of which occurs during peak
times. Will the Minister look into the matter urgently?
The email with the letter will have been sent to four hon.
Members; the hon. Lady is one of them. If it has not yet got
through, I suspect that that is because of a systems issue rather
than anything else, but as soon as I leave the Chamber I will
make sure that she gets it. I make the point again that I am a
user of Southeastern and of London Bridge, and I am aware of the
issues. We will continue to reflect, adapt and change where the
case is made—I assure the hon. Lady of that.
(Bolsover) (Con)
The roads Minister is aware of my campaign to upgrade junctions
28 and 29 of the M1. Will he commit to visiting both junctions
and meeting local stakeholders?
Mr Holden
I would be absolutely delighted: I regularly drive on that road
and it almost feels as if I have been meeting them, given the
slowness of the traffic, particularly at junction 28. I would be
delighted to meet my hon. Friend and other hon. Members in the
area to discuss the matter further.
(Sheffield South East)
(Lab)
I do not know whether the Minister is aware of the plans being
developed at the University of Sheffield’s advanced manufacturing
research centre, with Boeing, to research and potentially to
manufacture ultra-lightweight materials for planes. If not, would
he like to visit Sheffield to meet the relevant parties and
better inform himself of a development that could be really
exciting not just for Sheffield, but for the whole UK?
I am sure that the aviation Minister in the Lords will be
interested. I certainly have an interest, as the former aviation
Minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy who was responsible for the Aerospace Technology
Institute. Let me assure the hon. Gentleman of my interest in the
matter, and let us take it up further outside the House.
(Stroud) (Con)
I wish Ministers had seen me trying to drag a baby, a toddler and
a buggy up and down the steps at Stroud station as part of my
campaign for accessibility measures. I am able-bodied, so it is
even more difficult for people with disabilities and elderly
people. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss the Access
for All scheme so that I can go back to Great Western Railway and
give an update?
Mr Harper
I am grateful for that question from my constituency neighbour
across the River Severn. We have spent £900 million on Access for
All accessibility upgrades. I would be delighted to meet my hon.
Friend to discuss her specific proposals for Stroud station.
(North Antrim) (DUP)
May I place on the record my thanks and gratitude to the
Department, and to the Secretary of State in particular, for his
visit to Wrightbus and for this morning’s announcement of more
than £25 million of investment in jobs there? Those jobs will
create opportunities for transport in Norfolk, Yorkshire,
Portsmouth, Hampshire and York. What a fantastic announcement—I
congratulate him on that wonderful news. We have the best product
being made by the best workers for everyone across the United
Kingdom.
Mr Harper
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. I hugely enjoyed my
visit last month to Wrightbus, a very impressive company that has
grown tremendously over the last few years and is both developing
electric buses and working on hydrogen developments. It is
fulfilling part of our wish to decarbonise the transport network,
and it is also fantastic to see it demonstrating the importance
of our Union in delivering on our net zero commitments.
(Bury North) (Con)
I thank the Minister for his recent visit to my constituency.
Does he agree that the proposal to invest £100 million in a new
bus and tram interchange for Bury town centre is an excellent
example of the way in which transport investment can level up all
parts of the country?
Mr Holden
My hon. Friend has made a massive case for investment in his
constituency, including Bury market and this new transport
infrastructure, which is indeed a great example. I will be
meeting officials from Transport for Greater Manchester again in
the near future, and will keep my hon. Friend up to date on
progress. The excellent work that he does in his constituency
does not go unnoticed.
(Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
(SNP)
Thanks to the Scottish Government’s help with the cost of living
crisis and their promotion of sustainable public transport, about
23 million free bus journeys have been made by people aged under
22 across Scotland. That has undoubtedly benefited not only those
young people and their pockets, but the environment. What plans
does the Minister have to replicate this successful Scottish
Government policy in England?
Mr Holden
All the bus service investment plans across the country contain
individual plans tailored for the regions, and that includes the
provision of youth services. The British Government are doing it
on a tailored basis in accordance with local need. That is where
I think those decisions should be taken.
(Eltham) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker
Is it relevant to the questions?
Yes, Mr Speaker. In his answer to me, the Minister of State,
Department for Transport, the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle
() mentioned that he was sending a letter to Members
who were affected by the changes that he had announced. When I
looked at my emails later, I noted that that communication had
been sent at the exact moment I sat down after asking my
question, which denied me the opportunity to quiz the Minister
further about his announcement. While the off-peak services to
Charing Cross are welcome, he has not dealt with the overcrowding
at peak times. I do not know how I can obtain redress for this,
Mr Speaker, but at least I have put it on the record.
Mr Speaker
Does the Minister want to respond?
Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. I have heard what the
hon. Member has said, and I shall be happy to meet him if he
wants to discuss the matter further. However, I feel pleased that
I have been able both to write to him and to address his concerns
in the Chamber.
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