Bus Funding

Debate between Louise Haigh and Rachel Hopkins

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Louise Haigh]

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.

[Rachel Hopkins (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?

[Louise Haigh]

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.

Rail Performance

Debate between Louise Haigh and Rachel Hopkins

Monday 11th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Louise Haigh]

I completely empathise, and agree that the situation in Oxford is not good enough. The hon. Lady’s characterisation of Network Rail is partly why it is being abolished as we establish Great British Railways. I will of course meet her to discuss how we can improve the situation.

[Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)]

I welcome the Transport Secretary’s comments today, and her emphasis on good industrial relations in the rail industry. Why does she think that this Labour Government were able to work with trade unions such as ASLEF to end the national strikes, improving services for passengers within weeks of taking office, when the previous Conservative Government were unable to do so over several years?

[Louise Haigh]

The truth is that the previous Government deliberately provoked and prolonged that strike, the longest in the history of our railways. They budgeted for a pay settlement not far off where we landed, and that pay settlement has already paid for itself through increased revenue and improved services for passengers.