Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Access to Employment: Rural Areas

Monday 16 May 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial discussions have included steps to improve access to employment for those without car access in rural areas as part of the levelling-up agenda.
  • The levelling-up fund allocated 1.7 billion to 105 projects across the UK, including initiatives to support employment access for non-car users in rural regions.
  • The Government provided nearly 1.86 billion in grant funding for bus services in England during the pandemic to support local service delivery.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Employment Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The levelling-up agenda seeks to improve socio-economic conditions across the UK, particularly focusing on rural areas lacking car access.

Question

What discussions has he had with Cabinet colleagues on taking steps to improve access to employment for those without car access in (a) North Shropshire and (b) other rural areas as part of the levelling-up agenda?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The levelling-up fund announced at the last spending review saw £1.7 billion awarded to 105 successful projects across the UK, including projects to improve access to employment for those without the use of a car in rural areas.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific discussions and steps taken or planned were not detailed.

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Q2 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Economy Transport
Context

Market Drayton in North Shropshire faces significant cuts to bus services, affecting weekend access. The area has not received funding from the Bus Back Better fund.

Question

Market Drayton and a number of other towns in North Shropshire are seeing cuts to their bus services, with Market Drayton set to lose them all together at weekends. It has received none of the funding that it has applied for to date, including from the Bus Back Better fund. Like many other towns across Britain, its beautiful high street is struggling to recover from the pandemic. For such towns that have been unsuccessful in their bids so far, and where people are struggling to get in and out of them, what is the Government's plan to level them up?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The hon. Lady needs to work with her local transport authority—that would be Shropshire Council—to look into resolving those issues. The pandemic had a huge impact on the delivery of local services and the Government provided nearly £1.86 billion in grant funding for bus services in England. Shropshire Council received about £2.17 million of that, so I encourage her to speak to the council to see what it, along with commercial bus operators, can do.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans or commitments to address the immediate issue of bus service cuts and town recovery were not provided.

How: Encouraged Questioner To Speak Directly To Local Council

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