Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum bus service levels for communities of 300 people or more.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the importance of reliable bus services in keeping communities connected. On 17 December, the government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform.
The aim of the Bill is to give power back to local communities to ensure that bus services reflect the needs of those who rely on these services. We believe that mandating an arbitrary level of service takes power away from communities, and that local leaders are best placed to make decisions about how to improve services. That is why we are providing £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
The Bill also includes a socially necessary local services measure. Under the new measure, local transport authorities will need to identify bus services which they consider socially necessary and put in place requirements that must be followed before they can be substantially changed or cancelled. This includes a review to consider the needs of the local community, as well as taking on board the views of bus passengers who use the service. They will also need to consider any alternative options that are available to preserve vital connectivity.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum standard of bus service for communities of 300 people or more.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the importance of reliable bus services in keeping communities connected. On 17 December, the government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform.
The aim of the Bill is to give power back to local communities to ensure that bus services reflect the needs of those who rely on these services. We believe that mandating an arbitrary level of service takes power away from communities, and that local leaders are best placed to make decisions about how to improve services. That is why we are providing £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London, including £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
The Bill also includes a socially necessary local services measure. Under the new measure, local transport authorities will need to identify bus services which they consider socially necessary and put in place requirements that must be followed before they can be substantially changed or cancelled. This includes a review to consider the needs of the local community, as well as taking on board the views of bus passengers who use the service. They will also need to consider any alternative options that are available to preserve vital connectivity.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has issued an expiry notice to Govia Thameslink Railway; and what her planned timetable is for the nationalisation of Govia Thameslink Railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The date on which Govia Thameslink Railway’s franchise will end, and its services transfer to public ownership, has not yet been decided. Accordingly, no expiry notice has been issued to Govia Thameslink Railway. The Rail Minister and Secretary of State meet with all the Train Operating Companies and their Network Rail counterparts regularly to discuss performance and staffing amongst other topical issues.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending regulations on blue badges to include a provision for people who run (a) taxis and (b) other transport vehicles that are designed to provide facilities for people with disabilities.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
The Blue Badge scheme provides a range of parking concessions for people with a long-term disability, who travel either as passengers or drivers, that affects their capacity to access the goods and services they need to use.
The regulations governing the Blue Badge scheme define a disabled person's badge as: “a badge issued by a local authority for display on any motor vehicle driven by a disabled person or used for the carriage of a disabled person or of several disabled persons.”
The concessions can be used by taxis and any other vehicles with the badge on display, to drop off and collect a Blue Badge holder. The Department has no plans to amend the current eligibility criteria.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has prepared improvement action plans for rail franchises due to be brought back into public ownership.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There will be no immediate changes to the specifications of services at the point of transfer. All operators will continue to go through an annual planning process with the Department to agree plans for changes to service specifications, performance improvements and other deliverables.
Once transferred, publicly owned operators will be managed by DfT Operator. DfT Operator works closely with its train companies to drive forward improvements for passengers and rail employees through its reform initiatives and it will ensure that its operators continually find better ways to make rail accessible for all.
The Government will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold all operators to account, regardless of ownership.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of disabled access at Baldock station; and whether her Department plans to upgrade access to that station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to improving the accessibility of Britain’s railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Ministers are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. We are unable to comment on next steps regarding specific stations, including at Baldock station. Once we can confirm our approach to Access for All programme, we will ensure MPs and stakeholders are informed.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of differences in the cost per mile of domestic (a) plane and (b) train travel; and if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to equalise costs to ensure it is never cheaper to travel by plane than train for domestic purposes.
Answered by Mike Kane
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airlines’ business models can at times accommodate more flexible pricing than the railway.
The Government sets the percentage that regulated rail fares can be increased each year. Regulated fares make up around 45 per cent of rail fares and include commuter fares, such as season ticket and shorter-distance peak return, alongside longer-distance off-peak returns. The increase in regulated fares for 2025 will be the lowest absolute increase in three years and delivers a fair balance between passengers and taxpayers.