The Secretary of State for Transport (Louise Haigh) With your
permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will update the House on our
plans for better buses in England outside London. When we talk
about fixing the foundations of our country, our minds should turn
to the nation's most popular form of public transport, because
nothing props up our economy more or better supports our society
than the 3.4 billion passenger journeys carried by our buses each
year. They are more than just...Request free trial
The Secretary of State for Transport ()
With your permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will update the
House on our plans for better buses in England outside London.
When we talk about fixing the foundations of our country, our
minds should turn to the nation's most popular form of public
transport, because nothing props up our economy more or better
supports our society than the 3.4 billion passenger journeys
carried by our buses each year. They are more than just taking
people from A to B: they are a lifeline for young and old, in
cities or towns, binding us to jobs, public services and
opportunity. From trips to the shops or a doctor's appointment to
a job interview, buses shoulder the daily needs of Britain and,
in doing so, underpin every single one of our national missions.
That is why, come what may, this Government will always back our
buses.
Like much of the economy, our inheritance is dire. Some 40 years
of failed deregulation have turned many lifeline bus services
into liabilities. Passengers are let down as they sometimes wait
for hours for buses that do not turn up. Areas are cut off as
operators prioritise more viable routes in town centres. Fares
continue to rise, and nearly 300 million fewer miles are being
driven than in 2010. None of this was inevitable or an accident,
but all of it was down to choices—political choices—paving the
way for decline and placing a ceiling on the ambitions of many,
especially the poorest in society, who catch 10 times more buses
than trains. Enough is enough.
This Government have chosen to back our buses and the millions
who rely on them every day. In last month's Budget, we confirmed
more than £1 billion in funding to improve services, protect
vital routes and keep fares down. Today, we are distributing that
funding, which means more than £700 million for local councils to
deliver bus service improvement plans and better meet local
needs, and a further £243 million for bus operators, including
funding a long-standing grant to drive down fares and drive up
services.
In many places, this is record investment, and every region and
authority in England will benefit, especially areas that are
historically underserved, such as rural areas and small towns.
Councils such as Leicester, the Isle of Wight, Torbay and
Cambridgeshire will see unprecedented levels of funding for
services. Routes that are at risk will be saved and passengers
will see faster, more reliable journeys. We are also putting
money into safer bus stops and more accessible passenger
information so that our bus sector is fit for everyone. I am
delighted that metro mayors have welcomed the announcement, with
city regions such as Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and
Liverpool receiving some of the biggest allocations.
That is not all. We are committing over £150 million to cap bus
fares at £3, ensuring passengers do not face a cliff edge of
higher prices from next year, particularly in rural areas where
buses are a lifeline. The current fare cap was only funded until
31 December, meaning that without the action we are taking, some
fares would have risen by 80%. We were not going to let that
happen. We are investing to keep fares down, putting money back
in people's pockets, and to provide more frequent services so
that more people can get to more places at more times of the
day.
Not only are we a pro-investment Government, we are a pro-reform
Government. We will not hesitate to overhaul parts of the system
that simply are not working for passengers. If that means changes
to how we allocate resources, we will make them; if passengers'
needs are not being met, we will prioritise them; and if laws are
needed, we will introduce them. We have called time on the way
that bus funding has historically been allocated. Previously, the
Government made councils compete for funding, wasting resources
and delaying decisions. That was overly complicated, led to
inconsistent funding, and created uncertainty for authorities and
operators. We are taking a fundamentally different approach.
We have allocated funding based on local need, population, the
distance that buses travel, and levels of deprivation. That puts
fairness at the heart of future funding and ends the postcode
lottery for bus services. It ensures taxpayer money goes to the
areas that are most in need, where it will have the most impact
and where passengers will most benefit. This is the first stop on
our journey to support local areas to take back control of
services and deliver better buses across the country.
Finally, we will introduce our landmark buses Bill in the coming
weeks—the biggest shake-up of the sector for 40 years. This Bill
will allow councils across the country to adopt franchising
models, as in Greater Manchester and London. That means local
leaders taking back control of services, ensuring that routes,
fares and timetables are all geared towards local passenger
needs. This model works. It has been over a year since buses were
brought under public control in Greater Manchester. Since then,
passenger numbers have grown, reliability has improved, and new
24/7 services have been introduced. Roads are now managed in a
way that works for buses, meaning that unexpected congestion or
unplanned roadworks do not leave passengers stranded. That is
what power in local hands looks like. It is why we are
simplifying the franchise process to ensure local leaders waste
no time in driving improvements for passengers. We will also
remove the ideological ban on publicly owned bus companies so
that our buses can finally be run for the public, by the
public.
I have said it before, and I will say it again: when it comes to
our public transport, we are moving fast and fixing things. After
years of decline, we are putting passengers back at the heart of
our buses through record levels of investment and generational
reform. Last month's Budget sent the signal that, even in
difficult economic times, this Government will never take our
buses for granted, because we know that investing in buses means
investing in people, in communities and in the future growth of
our country. Better buses are just a few stops away.
I commend this statement to the House.
Madam Deputy Speaker ()
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
4.48pm
(Orpington) (Con)
I thank the Secretary of State for delivering her statement to
the House, and for advance sight of it.
It was, of course, the last Government who provided £4.5 billion
of funding to the bus sector since 2020 alone. Some £2 billion of
that was allocated to support every single local transport
authority in England to deliver their local bus service
improvement plans, helping to support buses following the
pandemic and ensuring more frequent, more reliable and cheaper
bus transport across the country. Conservative Members are
familiar with the need to properly fund bus services, but simply
spending a bit more money will not necessarily improve outcomes.
As such, we would welcome details on whether and how the
Secretary of State can assure the House and the taxpayer that the
money allocated today will actually go towards the improvement of
bus services in the long term. How will she ensure that the money
allocated today, and the bus service improvement plans that go
with this investment, will remain aligned with any possible
future franchising?
If the Secretary of State cannot give assurances on these points,
there is a danger that the Government are taking short-term
action that avoids facing complex long-term problems.
Unfortunately, in the four months that this Government have been
in office, that has been their approach to every single major
issue they have faced so far. Whether it is the winter fuel
allowance, the family farm tax or the increase to the bus fare
cap, the Government seem at a loss as to why their policies are
so unpopular, and why—only a few months into this Government—they
are so deeply distrusted by the British public.
Governing is tough, and it requires taking real responsibility
and considering the consequences of decisions before they are
taken. For example, the decision to increase the bus fare cap
from £2 to £3 will cost users more—[Interruption.] Wait for it.
It will cost users more and—perversely—put at risk passenger
services on certain routes, because it could counter-productively
drive bus ridership down. Between 2022 and 2023, the £2 bus cap
cut fares outside London by 7.4%, and the rate was 10.8% in rural
and non-metropolitan areas in England. That is an example of a
policy that worked, which is why the Government's decision to
increase the cap by 50% is such a disappointment.
The right hon. Lady, in defending her decision to hike bus fares,
has been making the argument—she has done so again this
afternoon—that the fare cap was to run only until end of the
year. But as she knows full well—her Back Benchers can be excused
for not knowing this—it is standard Government practice to set
funding arrangements until a given date. She has guaranteed the
£3 cap only until the end of 2025 and has made no commitment to
extend it beyond that. She is also well aware that it was a
Conservative party manifesto commitment to extend the cap and
maintain it at £2 for the lifetime of this Parliament.
Not extending the £2 cap was not inevitable; it was a decision
that the Government chose to make. Why do the right hon. Lady's
Government claim that they cannot afford to retain the £2 bus
fare cap, which is making a real difference to the lives of
passengers and the viability of public services across the
country, and yet she can give hundreds of millions of pounds in
additional funding here without any guarantee of success in
improving service or delivery?
While I await the right hon. Lady's answer, I have a theory. She
is set on an undertaking—the ideological drive for bus
franchising—and, make no mistake, it is ideological. Bus
franchising does work in some places, but by no means will it
work everywhere. The Government claim that they will not impose
franchises everywhere, but there is a danger that her push for
bus franchising will force local authorities into feeling that
they are expected to undertake this ideological venture—one that
they say they may well be unprepared and unequipped for—which
would lead to a worse outcome for passengers. I call on the
Secretary of State to make clear her answers to those questions
and assure the House and the taxpayer that all the money
allocated will be held to account in delivering real and lasting
service improvement for passengers, whose interests should, of
course, be at the centre of all decisions made by the
Government.
I am grateful to the shadow Secretary of State for his questions,
but I have to say that I will take no lessons from those on the
Conservative Benches on good government. The approach to funding
allocation is based on need, on deprivation, on population and on
bus mileage, whereas his Government wasted millions of pounds in
forcing areas to compete against each other, picking winners and
losers, raising expectations and leaving some Tory-controlled
areas such as Essex, where I was this morning, with absolutely
nothing from the bus service improvement plan process. This
formula and the funding allocated is a fair arrangement, ensuring
that every area of the country gets the service levels it needs
and can build the improvement plans that it wants.
I have to say that I will also take no lessons on ideology. For
four decades, England outside London has experienced the failed
deregulation of bus services, leading to a steady decline in
passenger numbers. This funding is backed up by a
once-in-a-generation reform to our bus policy, ensuring that we
can deliver better bus services in every corner of the country,
with public control backed up by funding and a Government who
believe in buses.
(Luton South and South
Bedfordshire) (Lab)
I welcome the Secretary of State's £9 million investment in the
bus system across my constituency. Given the comments she has
just heard, does she agree that it takes a Labour Government to
really understand not just the cost but the value of public
transport, and that our Labour Government are getting on with the
job of delivering better buses for our communities?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her support. Not only are we
ensuring record funding for the majority of areas in this
country; we are pushing ahead with reform. There is no point
throwing money at a broken system, as the previous Government
were so content to do. I am delighted that we are able to deliver
better bus services for the people of Luton.
Madam Deputy Speaker ()
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
Mr (Wimbledon) (LD)
I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of her
statement, which I warmly welcome. As she made clear, access to
convenient, frequent and affordable buses is vital. They are
critical to both employment and quality of life, particularly in
rural areas. Sadly, however, too many parts of our country lack
decent bus services, after years of Tory neglect. At a time when
we desperately need economic growth, ensuring a comprehensive and
affordable bus network is vital.
I congratulate the Secretary of State on securing the promised
funding. However, we have some concerns. Uncertainty still
surrounds how local authorities can seize the opportunities
heralded in the promised changes to bus franchising. Furthermore,
if, as the Secretary of State believes, buses are a lifeline for
young and old, why is she hitting bus users with a 50% increase
in fares? Polling commissioned by the Lib Dems and published last
week showed that the hike will make a third of people less likely
to use a bus, which will have a direct impact on individuals,
communities, small businesses and high streets, and will hit the
most disadvantaged in society the hardest. It would cost just
£150 million a year to retain the £2 fare cap. Again, I ask her
to reconsider.
I would like to ask the Secretary of State three specific
questions. First, when will she publish the full impact
assessment on the £2 bus fare cap, commissioned by her Department
earlier this year? Secondly, will she guarantee that the new
powers needed for local authorities to franchise bus services
will be provided urgently, so that bus routes can be restored and
new ones added as soon as possible? Lastly, although I welcome
the change to the allocation process and the rejection of
wasteful and expensive competitive bidding between councils, will
she confirm that the new, more flexible system will not succumb
to the temptations of pork barrel politics that we saw so
frequently under the last Conservative Government?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for those incredibly
important questions. We have committed to publish the evaluation
of the £2 bus fare cap shortly. We will introduce the better
buses Bill in the coming weeks, which will allow every area of
the country to avail themselves of the franchising powers and
overturn the ideological ban on public ownership. My Department
is also taking a much more proactive enabling role with local
transport authorities, making sure that they have the capability
and capacity to move to franchising. A significant amount of the
funding settlement announced today is specifically for capability
and staffing in local transport authorities.
Finally, on pork barrel politics, the reason behind today's
funding is that we are not in the business of picking winners and
losers. We want to ensure that every corner of the country has
the funding it deserves and the ability to avail itself of the
style of buses that we have enjoyed in London for four
decades.
(Birmingham Northfield)
(Lab)
Given that the Conservative party's record was a 20% cut in the
bus service operators grant, a 40p-in-the-pound cut in local bus
funding, and 12,000 bus services cut between 2010 and 2023—a fall
of more than half—does my right hon. Friend agree that some of
what we have heard today is a bit rich?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We saw bus mileage and
passenger numbers plummet under the last Tory Government. The
hon. Member for Orpington () talked about the funding that
they provided, but they were throwing money at a broken system.
This record funding for the majority of the country comes
alongside massive reform so that we can give back control and
deliver the better buses that every corner of the country
deserves.
Dame (West Worcestershire)
(Con)
Bus usage after the pandemic was beginning to recover in
Worcestershire, thanks to the £2 bus fare and improvements to
routes. We are campaigning in Malvern for a better and more
regular bus service between Worcester and Malvern, including on
weekends, and for the reinstatement of the X43 service. We hoped
that we would be able to do that with some of the £209 million of
High Speed 2 money that was indicated for Worcestershire. Could
the Secretary of State clarify what has happened to that funding,
and how it links to her statement?
I am very pleased to confirm that Worcestershire is receiving
£9.4 million dedicated for local bus services, a £4 million
increase on this year. Of that, £5.4 million is revenue funding
and can absolutely be delivered for the kind of bus service that
the hon. Lady outlines.
(Exeter) (Lab)
I thank the Secretary of State on behalf of residents in Exeter
and across Devon, who will be delighted with the £11.6 million of
extra funding for our bus system. As I look around the Chamber,
it is very clear who takes buses seriously and who does not.
Devon and Torbay have already been given the powers to franchise
and otherwise regulate bus services as part of the devolution
deal signed off by the Government this year, yet Tory-run Devon
county council has specifically said that it will not use those
powers. Does she agree with me that Devon county council should
take buses and passenger experience as seriously as this
Government?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. We know that franchising works;
Greater Manchester went through the franchising process a year
ago and it has already driven up revenues and passenger numbers.
That has allowed Andy to step in and use that revenue to
keep his own bus fare cap at £2. With the funding allocated
today, local transport authorities can absolutely lower fares
below the maximum of £3. I absolutely encourage areas that
already have the powers to plan a bus network that is appropriate
for their communities. The Department stands ready to work with
Devon and Torbay to ensure that they can do that.
(Glastonbury and Somerton)
(LD)
The new funding for bus services in Somerset is welcome, but my
constituents often tell me that they need bus-rail links to
connect areas not served by train stations. Will the Secretary of
State outline the exact conditions for what each tranche of money
must be spent on, to allow the council to plan much-needed
improvements to services in rural areas?
The way the formula has been designed explicitly benefits rural
areas, because a third of the allocation is dependent on bus
mileage; that is why a number of areas, including Somerset, have
done much better out of today's allocation than in previous
years. We are removing the controls that were previously
required. All the funding will have to be spent on buses, but we
believe it is right that local transport authorities take those
decisions themselves rather than being constrained by central
diktat from Whitehall.
Dr (Gravesham) (Lab)
I thank the Secretary of State for the £23 million for Kent
county council. As a Kent county councillor—for a little bit
longer—I have seen the ridiculous bidding wars and the hoops we
have had to jump through for many, many years. Will the money be
ringfenced for buses, while allowing Kent county council the
flexibility to spend it on the KCC Travel Saver—a fantastic
initiative to help kids get around Kent to local schools? Will
the money facilitate that?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that important question. We
have lifted controls on the funding from the Department. We think
it is absolutely right that Kent county council should be able to
decide where its bus money goes. The money will be ringfenced to
ensure that it is spent on buses, but if areas want to spend it
on providing concessions for younger people or care leavers, on
buying new buses or on adding new services, that is entirely
within its gift. It is right that Kent county council makes those
decisions, rather than me.
(Kingswinford and South
Staffordshire) (Con)
Passengers in many parts of the country, including in my
constituency, rely on cross-boundary bus services for shopping,
visiting friends and family, and accessing vital public services.
Too often, however, cross-boundary services can feel like a bit
of an afterthought. Will the Secretary of State look at how
funding mechanisms can be used to encourage passenger transport
authorities to properly integrate those services, because
community ties do not stop at county boundaries?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that important question,
which I often hear. Cross-border services can be an absolute
lifeline for people travelling out of area for work, and we can
absolutely consider that issue as part of debate on the better
buses Bill. I hope he will involve himself in that debate as it
passes through the House.
(Welwyn Hatfield) (Lab)
It is a time of optimism for everyone who uses the bus in Welwyn
Hatfield. First, after a long Labour party campaign we have
doubled the frequency of one of the lifeline bus services to
which the Secretary of State referred: between the urgent care
centre at Queen Elizabeth II hospital and the Lister hospital.
Secondly, we have heard today the announcement of £12.25 million
for buses in Hertfordshire. I am hoping that my right hon. Friend
can make it a hat trick, and confirm that local powers will be
given to people in Hertfordshire to take buses back into public
control.
May I begin by saying what an absolute joy it is to thank my hon.
Friend the Labour MP for Welwyn Hatfield? He is absolutely right;
I can confirm that the better buses Bill will extend powers to
every local authority that wants to avail itself of franchising.
Because we are well aware that not every transport authority in
the country is in either London or Greater Manchester, the
Department stands ready to work with those in more rural areas
and with different types of transport authority, and to look at
different models to give them the flexibility that will enable
them to build a network that works for their communities.
(North Herefordshire)
(Green)
I welcome the statement, and I particularly welcome the change in
funding mechanisms—the move away from hoop-jumping, jam-jar
funding to something that takes proper account of local needs; I
hope very much that it will take proper account of rurality.
However, I want to ask about another issue. Pensioners get free
bus travel but children do not. In my rural constituency, the
cost to people who do not fit the very narrow definition of those
eligible for free bus travel is £1,000 a year. Is it not time to
extend concessionary bus travel to children?
The hon. Lady is right, and that is one of the reasons why,
throughout next year, we will be looking at the bus fare cap and
considering whether we can extend a concession of some kind to
young people. The point of the BSIP funding is that it can be
used to deliver concessionary schemes as well. The hon. Lady
should encourage her local authority to think about whether some
of the revenue funding that has been allocated can be delivered
for younger people.
(Coventry South) (Ind)
More than 62,000 people have already signed my petition on
change.org to protect the £2 bus fare cap. One young person
explained how rising fares made it increasingly difficult for
them to get to college, while another described public transport
as a vital lifeline against loneliness. Affordable public
transport is essential not only to alleviating economic hardship,
but to addressing the climate crisis. Instead of increasing the
fare cap by 50% to £3 and costing ordinary people hundreds of
pounds more each year, why do the Government not take a page from
the book of Greater Manchester's Labour Mayor, , who has committed himself to
maintaining the £2 fare cap to ensure that public transport
remains accessible to everyone?
The combination of having franchised powers and
this transformational funding is the reason why he can keep the
fare cap at £2 in Greater Manchester. The combination of this
transformational funding and more powers for authorities in the
rest of the country will enable them to keep fares low as
well.
(Meriden and Solihull East)
(Con)
I was disappointed that the Secretary of State did not mention
the west midlands a single time in her statement. My constituents
across Meriden and Solihull East rely on buses to travel to jobs,
job interviews and education facilities, and to attend medical
appointments. Does the Secretary of State recognise that the most
vulnerable people in my community, and those who need buses the
most, will be hardest hit by the 50% increase in the bus cap?
This afternoon I was delighted to meet the Mayor of the west
midlands, , to talk about how he is
taking forward the bus powers in the west midlands. I was also
delighted to announce the £50 million funding settlement for the
west midlands, which will be transformational for the hon.
Gentleman's constituents.
Mr (Hartlepool) (Lab)
My constituents know that bus services are not good enough. We
welcome the announcement of more powers and more funding for our
area, but sadly the Conservative Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen,
has ruled out any exploration of giving the public control of bus
services. Can the Secretary of State tell me how we can get
around the bus blocker to ensure that there are decent bus
services for Hartlepool constituents?
My hon. Friend is entirely right. Tees Valley has done very well
out of today's funding settlement, and I would encourage the
Mayor to consider franchising options to deliver better bus
services for the whole area. I can also confirm that through the
better buses Bill we will be lifting the ideological ban on
public ownership, so my hon. Friend can certainly consider
working with his local authority to set up a publicly owned bus
company if the Mayor does not choose to avail himself of those
powers.
(Bath) (LD)
My young constituents in Bathampton who attend Ralph Allen school
have to put up with an atrocious service. They first have to go
into Bath city centre, and then they have to take a second bus
out again, halfway back to where they came from, to get to
school; they often miss school because of the infrequency of the
services, and they pay twice. A direct service would be cheaper,
better and safer. Bath council wants to make services better and
franchise them directly, but the West of England Mayor is
preventing that. Will the Secretary of State please urge the
Mayor to listen to west of England authorities and allow them to
franchise services directly and bring buses back under local
control?
With her example, the hon. Lady describes exactly what
franchising is designed to provide: the ability to design the
services that people rely on and ensure that schoolchildren have
a direct route to school. I would encourage all our mayoral
colleagues to take forward franchising.
(Cramlington and Killingworth)
(Lab/Co-op)
For 14 years, the last Government failed communities with a lack
of investment in our bus services, leading to fewer services,
reduced timetables, increasing unreliability and, ultimately,
less control. In 2023, in my area alone, tens of millions fewer
bus miles were travelled than in 2010. Does the Secretary of
State agree that our towns, villages and rural areas depend on
our buses, and that the almost £24 million announced for the
North East combined authority will turn the page for my
community, which was let down so badly by the previous
Government?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Particularly in rural areas,
buses simply are not good enough. Entire towns and villages are
cut off, with no bus service before 9 am or after 5 pm, and that
leaves people with their ambition completely curtailed. I am
really pleased to have been working with , the Mayor of the North
East, to ensure that, through the better buses Bill, we speed up
the franchising process and make available to her as quickly as
possible the powers to deliver better buses for my hon. Friend's
constituents.
(Ynys Môn) (PC)
The Barnett formula comparability factor calculates how much
money each devolved nation receives as a consequence of UK
Government spending in England. Wales's comparability factor for
transport is now 33.5%, compared with 95.6% for Scotland and
Northern Ireland. Can the Secretary of State confirm whether this
unfair funding arrangement applies to the new bus funding, and
will she say how much Wales would receive in cash terms if it had
the same percentage share of funding as Scotland and Northern
Ireland?
I will take away the hon. Lady's specific question about the
percentages and write to her, but I was pleased to meet , the Welsh Transport Minister, just a few weeks ago to
talk about the Welsh Government's own ambitious plans for bus
franchising across Wales. They are learning the lessons from
Greater Manchester and London, and ensuring that every
constituent in Wales will be able to benefit from better
buses.
(Plymouth Moor View) (Lab)
What a fantastic day for every person in Plymouth who uses the
bus! We strongly welcome the Secretary of State's announcement
that £4.5 million will be invested in our buses over the next
couple of years. She said that that represents an investment not
just in buses, but in people and communities. That is fantastic
to hear. Does she agree that today's announcement represents the
Labour Government investing in Plymouth?
I am very happy to confirm that we are investing in Plymouth,
Plymouth's people and Plymouth's buses. Buses are an enormous
engine of social justice, because, as I said earlier, the most
deprived rely on them the most. I am afraid that is why they have
been so badly neglected in this place for so long, but that will
absolutely turn around under this Labour Government. Buses are my
priority and this Labour Government's priority.
(North Norfolk) (LD)
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members'
Financial Interests: I am a member of Norfolk county council.
I am pleased that £15 million of the new funding will be heading
to Norfolk to support our rural bus services, but the model for
running buses in Norfolk is broken. We need a service that works
for everyone, not just routes to and from the city and the
occasional shopping bus. Will the Secretary of State assure me
that this money will not just disappear into county council
coffers or route subsidies, but instead help build the proper
public transport network that North Norfolk needs?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Under the current system,
money has been thrown hand over fist at operators, which have
cherry-picked the most commercially viable routes, leaving local
authorities to step in to subsidise the lifeline routes that
people rely on. The benefit of areas being able to move to a
franchised system, or indeed to set up their own publicly owned
bus company, is that they can cross-subsidise properly across
routes, and ensure that public money is spent in the best way and
that we design routes and networks that really work for local
communities.
(Norwich North)
(Lab/Co-op)
On Friday I met members of the 17th Norwich scout group as part
of UK Parliament Week, and they had lots of questions on
transport. They are particular concerned about the reliability
and availability of buses. Could the Secretary of State expand on
how today's announcement will support young people and how we can
ensure that their voices are heard in this important
conversation?
It is particularly important that we encourage young people on to
buses, so that they can develop better behaviours and carry on
using buses throughout their adult lives. I am delighted that we
can confirm an additional £1.2 million in revenue funding for
Norfolk. That revenue funding will be available to Norfolk to
enable it to add additional services and improve the reliability
and frequency of its local buses.
(Torbay) (LD)
I would like to acknowledge the significant investment in my
constituency and say how welcome this will be after Torbay's
first “bus back better” bid came back empty from the
Conservatives. One of the issues that has led to significant cuts
in our bus services is the recruitment of bus drivers. Can the
Secretary of State advise us on how the Government plan to
enhance the opportunities for the recruitment of bus drivers so
that this money can be put to good use?
Torbay is a fantastic example of an area that has done well out
of this funding settlement but was treated appallingly by the
previous bus service improvement plan funding process. The hon.
Gentleman is right to say that the recruitment of bus drivers is
an issue that has plagued certain parts of the country, and we
are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions,
through its “Get Britain Working” White Paper, to ensure that we
can address recruitment and retention issues in the bus
sector.
(Dartford) (Lab)
Just a few short weeks ago, when the new bus franchising
arrangements were announced in this place, Conservative Members
said that it would never work without funding attached. Now we
have our answer, and the £1 billion of funding nationally and the
£23 million of funding for Kent, which has already been
mentioned, are hugely welcome and will certainly be a big boost
for my residents in Dartford and also a big boost to our efforts
to kick-start growth in the Thames estuary. Does the Secretary of
State agree that boosting connections between our rural areas and
our towns is vital to increasing access to jobs?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I get very frustrated in the
transport policy space because we often think of investment only
in big infrastructure as a mechanism by which to achieve growth,
but buses are essential to delivering growth in local
communities. They connect people to jobs, to opportunities, to
education and to each other, so they are not only a massive
engine of growth but one of the most important engines of social
justice available in transport policy terms.
(Thornbury and Yate) (LD)
Many of my rural constituents have commented that the level of
the bus cap is irrelevant when there are no buses to use, so I
welcome the extra funding today, but does the Secretary of State
agree that it should be directed to ensuring a minimum level of
service for all users rather than increasing the frequency of
services in urban areas that are already well served, as has
happened previously in the west of England?
The hon. Lady is absolutely right. The biggest barrier to people
getting the bus is the absence of a bus in lots of communities,
and that is why we have directed this significant level of
funding into communities to ensure that it is invested in local
bus services. The benefit of moving to franchising means that we
avoid adding more and more operators and more and more services
to commercially viable routes, and that we can design a network
that means that more areas and communities are served by the
timetables and levels of service that they deserve. This is
exactly what she addresses, and it will allow a minimum level of
service that every area can expect.
(Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
May I take this opportunity to thank the Secretary of State for
visiting the best town in the country, Harlow, this morning? I
want to personally welcome the £17.8 million of funding for bus
services in Essex, which is hugely important. Does she agree that
the hidden benefit of improving our bus service in Essex will be
to tackle social isolation, which is a particular issue in more
deprived areas where there is no reliable bus service?
I was delighted to be in Harlow with my hon. Friend this morning
to announce record levels of investment for Essex, another area
that was badly underserved by the previous Government. Someone
mentioned earlier that bus passenger numbers have been increasing
since covid, which is true, but concessionary levels are still
far below where they were before covid. I am afraid that
potentially highlights the real issue of social isolation, and
the hidden issue of older people not being able to access public
transport. Only by delivering reliable, accessible bus services
can we tackle social isolation and give older people the service
they deserve.
Mr (Taunton and Wellington)
(LD)
The £6 million funding for Somerset is clearly welcome, although
it is much less than was needed, considering that Somerset was
rated as having the worst county bus service in the country. I
particularly welcome the ending of the lottery that sets one
community against another. Will the Secretary of State
congratulate the Somerset bus partnership volunteers who, working
with my Liberal Democrat colleagues now running Somerset council,
prevented the previous Conservative county council from closing
the park and ride, got night buses going and have begun a new
transport hub since the bus station in Taunton was closed as a
result of Conservative privatisation?
It sounds like the Somerset volunteers are doing a cracking job.
I am very happy to congratulate them and to welcome the £6.8
million of funding announced for Somerset today.
(Gateshead Central and
Whickham) (Lab)
Under the last Government, the number of miles travelled on bus
routes in the north-east fell by 30%, but that number also
measures the region's aspirations unfulfilled, the opportunities
lost and the job interviews and family events that could not be
attended. I very much welcome the near £24 million of funding
given to the north-east in this announcement. How will the
Secretary of State work with mayors such as Labour's to ensure that the
aspirations and opportunities of people in Gateshead are given
flight by this announcement?
My hon. Friend is right that the 30% cut to his bus services is
absolutely shocking. Behind every one of those cuts is a human
story of opportunity and ambition curtailed. I have been working
closely with on speeding up the
franchising process. Under the current legislation, took six years to bring a
single bus service under public control, despite having been
elected twice in that period on a mandate to do so. We want to
ensure that we drastically speed up the process and reduce the
cost to local transport authorities and mayoral authorities of
getting to franchising, so that the money can be spent
effectively on local bus services.
(North Shropshire) (LD)
Shropshire is one of the worst-served counties in England for
public transport, having lost 63% of its bus miles since 2015,
compared with a national average of about 19%. A person in Market
Drayton who wants to get to the closest hospital in Telford,
which is a 20-minute car journey, is looking at a five-hour round
trip on the bus. We have only one service operating between
Oswestry and Chester on Sundays. I am afraid that I was therefore
quite disappointed by Shropshire's £2.5 million revenue
allocation in this round of funding. Will the Secretary of State
meet me to learn about the huge transport challenges we face in
Shropshire, and to see if we can do better?
I am delighted to confirm that Shropshire's resource departmental
expenditure limit allocation is £3.1 million, so the hon. Lady
has already had a further £600,000 out of today's statement.
(Portsmouth North) (Lab)
The Government's biggest reform to England's bus system in 40
years sees the people of Portsmouth having power put back into
the hands of our communities. Today's funding, the cutting of red
tape and the ending of the postcode lottery will ensure that bus
routes are where they are needed, allowing everyone to access
work, medical appointments and social life. Can the Secretary of
State inform people in Portsmouth North how the funding award and
the landmark buses Bill—soon to be tabled—will support these
welcome changes to truly put people first?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for standing up, for Portsmouth
and its people, as she always does. Today's funding settlement
will be ringfenced towards buses to ensure that Portsmouth gets
both the level of funding it needs and, crucially, the
flexibility and control to deliver it where it is needed most.
Portsmouth will be able to avail itself of the powers we will
announce in the coming weeks to take back control of its bus
services and to deliver routes, services and fare levels that are
right for the people of Portsmouth.
(Eastbourne) (LD)
A few hours ago, I marched with Eastbourne residents such as
Jodie Atherton, and Eastbourne businesses such as DB Domestics
and the Rosy Lee café in Seaside, against Conservative-run East
Sussex county council's car-crash bus service improvement plan,
after the council failed to adequately consult residents or
properly model the impact of the plan. Will the Secretary of
State review East Sussex county council's catalogue of failure in
this area, and will she introduce safeguards to ensure that
community voices are at the heart of any bus service improvement
plan that the money she has announced today will fund in my patch
of Eastbourne?
The hon. Gentleman raises some important points. It is right that
local people have the mechanisms and ability to hold their local
authorities to account. One such mechanism that we will introduce
through the better buses Bill is a local network safeguard, which
will ensure that the voices of communities and constituents are
at the heart of any changes to local bus networks.
(Crewe and Nantwich)
(Lab)
I strongly welcome my right hon. Friend's statement. Some £5.4
million will be delivered for buses in my area, which is a
significant increase in real terms on previous years. When I met
the chief executive of my local chamber of commerce, he said that
the biggest barrier to growth in our area was poor public
transport. Does my right hon. Friend agree that this investment,
as well as the Government's proposed reforms, are crucial if we
are to break down barriers to opportunity and grow our
economy?
My hon. Friend makes an important point. This Government have put
improving public transport at the heart of our priorities in
order to deliver growth and allow people to access opportunity.
Colleagues from across the House will recognise the picture he
painted because, time and again, they will hear that the biggest
barrier many businesses face to widening their labour market and
ensuring people can access opportunity is poor local transport.
That is why we are so delighted to announce this transformational
funding.
(Chippenham) (LD)
I welcome the Secretary of State's statement today that every
region of England and Wales will benefit, especially rural areas
and small towns. In Chippenham, large agricultural industries
based in the countryside are currently having to find private
transport themselves to get shift workers in and out of their
businesses. The further education college has had to cap its
hours because the last bus leaves so early that students cannot
continue to follow a proper day's work. This is a real problem
for growth and skills in my rural constituency. Will the
Secretary of State ensure that those counties that are not
currently part of a wider mayoral system get the funding they
need?
Colleges and large employers that use shift workers are two of
the institutions that often raise with me their frustration about
local bus services. The problem with the current system is that
nobody has the ability to require operators to run services
according to timetables or shift timings. The move to franchising
will allow local areas to design such services and ensure that
buses run when shifts finish or colleges open or close. The new
funding formula model will ensure that rural areas get the
funding they deserve.
Ms (East Thanet) (Lab)
My right hon. Friend will not be surprised to hear that I welcome
the £124 million settlement for the south-east and the £23
million settlement for Kent, which represents the biggest
proportion of any allocation in the south-east. It is striking
that in the past 14 years there have been 20% fewer bus miles in
Kent because of the last Tory Government. Will she join me in
challenging Tory-run Kent county council to use this money and
the powers offered to it by this Labour Government to make better
buses services for places such as East Thanet?
My hon. Friend is a true champion for the people of Kent, and
this is a record investment in them and their bus services. The
area was badly underfunded by the previous Government and Kent
lost out repeatedly in the bus service improvement process. The
funding will help to deliver better bus services, but if Kent
county council chooses to avail itself of the powers that will
come its way as a result of next month's better buses Bill, then
that will be the moment when it can deliver a public transport
network and better bus services that serve all Kent
constituents.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I welcome today's statement. Will the Secretary of State commit
to ensuring that funding will go to UK-based bus manufacturers,
such as Wrightbus in Northern Ireland, which are reliable and
efficient, and whose clean-energy buses meet the needs of
customers as well as our environmental obligations? How will she
ensure that we support the best of British?
I was delighted to announce half a billion pounds of investment
in Wrightbus just a few weeks ago. Those buses will make their
way around the country and are fully electric—cleaner, greener,
and providing a better service for passengers. We will announce
some measures shortly to encourage investment in UK-manufactured
buses. We have already announced the establishment of an expert
panel in order to ensure that buses ordered in this country are
built in this country.
(Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)
I warmly welcome the announcement that over £40 million will be
coming to the East Midlands combined authority, which covers
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, for investment in our local
buses. I know that Mayor and other local leaders will
spend that money very effectively. Does the Secretary of State
agree that this is an opportunity for people to get ahead in
work, leisure and their social interactions, and will help us to
get to net zero?
My hon. Friend is right that this is a massive moment for the
east midlands, with the new mayoral authority and this record
level of funding for bus services. Of course the authority will
go into the 2027 city region sustainable transport settlements
round. Buses are an enormous opportunity to meet all our
missions. That is why I am pleased to work across Government on
our mission boards to ensure that buses contribute to both our
growth mission and, crucially, our net zero mission.
(West Bromwich) (Lab)
Buses are essential in my constituency, which is why I am
grateful to the Government for the £50 million invested in the
West Midlands combined authority area. When operators cut
services, such as the 46 bus that goes through Hamstead in my
constituency, it is devastating for the community. After decades
of failed deregulation, I am grateful that the Government are
turning the page. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is
much better for local leaders to have control over local bus
services?
My hon. Friend is right: cutting services such as the 46 has
real-world implications for people attempting to access work, see
their friends and family, or get to the local high street. Having
a franchised system under the Mayor, , will mean that he has
control. He can contract out the 46 service and require an
operator to run it. At the moment, when an operator cuts a
service we have no say or control over that, which is what leads
to those terrible real-world consequences.
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