Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Worcester faces challenges with reduced evening and weekend bus services, leading to congestion and pollution. The city's businesses and night-time economy need improved public transport.
Worcester has been let down on transport. Our evening and weekend buses have been decimated, leaving our roads congested, our air polluted and our city centre cut off. I thank the Secretary of State and the Minister for Labour’s early work, which has already restored some of our local services, but Worcester needs more. Our city centre businesses, our night-time economy and our commuters need and deserve a modern system of shuttle buses running all day long and at weekends. We are the Government of partnership, so will the Minister assure me that the Department is ready to do what it takes, working dynamically and creatively with a range of public and private partners to see this vision delivered locally in Worcester?
I commend my hon. Friend for his commitment to improving local bus services in Worcester. We want better buses throughout the country, and I can assure him that the Government will continue to work with local leaders to give them the powers needed to deliver bus services that meet the needs of local communities.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not commit to specific actions or partnerships in Worcester beyond general assurances.
Will Continue To Work With Local Leaders
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Residents of South Shields signed a petition against the withdrawal of the No. 17 bus route, highlighting concerns about local influence over bus services.
My constituents are sick of being ignored when it comes to vital bus routes being withdrawn. More than 600 of them recently signed a petition after the unexpected and rapid withdrawal of the well used No. 17. Giving more powers to local councils does not always equate to communities having more of a say. Can the Minister please explain what checks and balances are in place to ensure that, as we devolve powers, residents really are listened to?
I know the bus services in South Shields very well indeed, having been born there, and I know intimately from conversations with my family the struggles that my hon. Friend’s constituents are having with bus services. Our landmark Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will allow local leaders to take back control of bus services, and I am sure that Kim McGuinness, the Mayor of the North East, will be able to do just that.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not address checks and balances but focused on empowering local leaders.
Will Allow Local Leaders To Take Back Control
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Patients face long travel times due to the distance between Eastbourne district general hospital and Hastings Conquest hospital, with a need for better transport options.
Eastbourne district general hospital, where I was born, and the Hastings Conquest hospital are quite far apart. On a good day, it takes 45 minutes to drive from one to the other, and two hours by bus. More and more services are moving to the Hastings hospital, but we need better transport links, such as a shuttle bus, to make things seamless for patients. Can the Minister meet me and local representatives to discuss how we could secure a shuttle bus service to Hastings hospital for our town?
This is why it is so important that the Government are handing local areas the power to design bus services around local needs. I encourage the hon. Gentleman to continue discussions with his local transport authority on doing just that.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not commit to a meeting but suggested continuing discussions locally.
Encourage Discussions With Local Transport Authority
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The SNP has introduced measures such as free bus travel for under-22s in Scotland, while the UK offers a £3 fare cap.
The SNP in government has introduced free bus travel for under-22s, and last week, it scrapped peak rail fares. Those measures support access to employment opportunities, put more money in people’s pockets, and support local economies, especially in suburban and rural areas. Will the Minister acknowledge those excellent measures for consumers in Scotland and consider their benefits for the rest of the UK?
We have the £3 bus fare cap in England, and we have committed to continuing that up to March next year. We will continue to keep our support for bus fares under review for the future.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not acknowledge Scottish policies directly but mentioned UK fare caps and reviews.
Acknowledge £3 Fare Cap
Keep Support Under Review
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Sexual offences on UK buses have increased, including a 13% rise in London this year.
As I am sure the Minister knows and agrees, improving bus services must include making them safer for women and girls. Concerningly, sexual offences on the UK bus network have increased in recent years; for example, they increased by 13% on London buses in the first six months of this year. What is his Department doing to ensure that women and girls feel safe using the bus network, and can he share with the House any more information on the work being led by the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which he alluded to in yesterday’s debate on the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill?
As I intimated in last night’s debate, the Bill requires local transport authorities and bus providers to give training to their staff. They will also have the power to introduce byelaws in order to clamp down on antisocial behaviour, and violence against women and girls in particular. On police officers being able to use buses for free across the country, I share the hon. Gentleman’s ambition. I have already commissioned work with the Confederation of Passenger Transport to explore how we could deliver that.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister provided some safety measures but did not address specific actions in detail.
Train Staff
Introduce Byelaws
Response accuracy