Costs for Commuters 2026-04-28
2026-04-28
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the financial bur [3D [K burden on commuters due to high costs.
What fiscal steps she is taking with Cabinet coll [4D [K colleagues to help reduce costs for commuters. The MP highlighted the need [K for cost relief measures to support commuters facing financial strain.
The Government are acting to ease the cost of livin [5D [K living for commuters, including by extending the £3 national bus fare cap t [1D [K to March 2027. We have also frozen regulated rail fares for the first time [K in 30 years, which will save the average commuter travelling from Worthing [K to London using an annual season ticket £360 a year.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from the freezing of ra [2D [K rail fares, which aims to ease the cost of living for commuters. Southern r [1D [K rail, a key operator in the area, has been rated as providing the worst val [3D [K value for money in a passenger survey.
I thank my right hon. Friend for freezing rail fa [2D [K fares, which will indeed help to ease the cost of living for many commuters [9D [K commuters, such as my constituents in Worthing West, many of whom have jobs [4D [K jobs here in London or in Brighton. Southern has been rated the worst value [5D [K value for money rail operator in a national passenger survey. As we move to [2D [K to nationalisation of our service and finally see the back of Southern rail [4D [K rail next month, will the Minister ensure that investment is available for [K key issues such as reducing overcrowding and improving the reliability and [K punctuality of our vital south coast services?
My hon. Friend is right to make it clear that impro [5D [K improving services for passengers is our absolute priority as rail operatio [8D [K operations come into public ownership. When Southern rail is brought into p [1D [K public ownership, it will be expected to focus relentlessly on improving pa [2D [K passenger experience, reliability and punctuality, and it will be held to a [1D [K account for doing so.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask about investment availability wa [2D [K was not directly addressed with concrete commitments or figures.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
In rural areas like Rutland and Stamford, we are reliant on our cars, so fuel costs are hitting us hard. I have a simple ask that the Chancellor could deliver on now: will she expand the 5p per litre rural fuel duty relief to more areas as soon as possible, particularly Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire, where it is desperately needed?
As my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary has already set out many times today on fuel duty, we inherited plans from the previous Government that would have seen fuel costs go up for people across the country. We have extended the 5p cut on fuel duty and extended the freeze, which is an important way of helping people with the cost of living right now.
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Response accuracy