Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to help ensure that councils provide access to bus services for isolated communities in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has set out an action plan for improving the bus network, centred around putting control of local bus services into the hands of communities to give them the tools they need to plan and deliver services in a way that suits their needs. On 9 September, the government announced important first steps towards delivering this aim by laying a statutory instrument to ‘open up’ bus franchising to all local transport authorities (LTAs), and publishing a consultation document on proposed updates to streamline bus franchising guidance that will speed up and lower the cost of franchising for LTAs.
As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will also introduce a new Buses Bill later this year that will build on the progress of this first package of measures, and help bring to an end the postcode lottery of bus services by giving local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas in Aldershot and across England.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that potholes are fixed promptly in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. Hampshire County Council (HCC) is the local highway authority for the Aldershot constituency, and it is therefore responsible for the maintenance of the local road network. HCC will receive £37.7 million from this Department during 2024/25 to enable it to carry out its local highway maintenance responsibilities. Funding for future years is a matter for the Spending Review.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve train services in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department officials maintain contact with train operators to ensure an appropriate level of service is provided to meet passenger demand, and this is reviewed regularly. The recent establishment of Shadow Great British Railways paves the way for the creation of Great British Railways and will deliver a unified railway providing a stronger, more reliable railway for the benefit of passengers.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to support vulnerable and disabled passengers affected by the closure of railway ticket offices in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving services for passengers is at the heart of our plans to improve Britain’s railways, and station staff play an important role in supporting passengers, especially those who require additional assistance. This Government has no plans to close ticket offices, and we expect train operating companies to take measures to ensure they are open at published times.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of train station ticket office closures on passengers in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving services for passengers is at the heart of our plans to improve Britain’s railways, and station staff play an important role in supporting passengers, especially those who require additional assistance. This Government has no plans to close ticket offices, and we expect train operating companies to take measures to ensure they are open at published times.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on average bus fares in (a) Aldershot constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The information requested regarding the average cost of bus fares is not available. The Department produces quarterly bus fare statistics in the form of a local bus fares index. However, this data is not available specifically for (a) Aldershot constituency, or (b) Hampshire. Data is available for (c) England and the latest publication can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-bus-fares-statistics-january-to-march-2024.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time is to take a driving test in Aldershot constituency from the date of booking the test as of 3 September 2024; and how many people are waiting to take a test in that constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As of 2 September 2024, there were 2,216 car practical driving tests booked, and 134 driving tests available to book within the 24-week booking window at Farnborough driving test centre (DTC).
The average waiting time (August 2024) for a car practical test at Farnborough DTC was 24 weeks.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to take steps to improve bus services in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce a Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in Aldershot.
We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate her Department has made of the level of (a) car ownership, (b) bus usage, (c) light rail usage, (d) train usage and (e) active travel usage in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The information requested regarding (a) car ownership, (b) bus usage (c) light rail usage, (d) train usage and (e) active travel usage in Aldershot constituency is not available. Geographic availability of data differs depending on the data source. Where possible, information has been provided for the constituency of Aldershot. Otherwise, statistics for the local authority of ‘Rushmoor’, county of ‘Hampshire’, or the area of ‘Hampshire and Isle of Wight’ are provided where relevant.
Car ownership
According to the Department’s vehicle statistics, there were 138,805 licensed cars as at end March 2024 in the Aldershot Constituency.
Bus usage
According to the Department’s annual bus statistics, in the year ending March 2023 there were 20.8 million local bus journeys taken in Hampshire.
Train usage
The Regional Rail Usage Statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road show that in the year ending March 2023 there were 25.0 million passenger rail journeys within the South East of England that started or ended in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. There were also 15.3 million journeys that started or ended in Hampshire and Isle of Wight that started or ended from regions outside the South East of England.
Active travel usage
According to the Department’s annual walking and cycling statistics, between November 2022 and November 2023, 66.4% of adults walked or cycled, for any purpose, at least once per week in Rushmoor (Non-Metropolitan District). The equivalent figure for Hampshire (County) is 73.6%.
Asked by: Alex Baker (Labour - Aldershot)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) roads are adequately maintained and (b) potholes are fixed in a timely manner in Aldershot constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. Hampshire County Council (HCC) is the local highway authority for the Aldershot constituency, and it is therefore responsible for the maintenance of the local road network. HCC will receive £37.7 million from this Department during 2024/25 to enable it to carry out its local highway maintenance responsibilities. Funding for future years is a matter for the Spending Review.