Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Heidi Alexander and Ellie Chowns

Thursday 12th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Heidi Alexander]

I understand that the public toilets in Weymouth station have been closed for several years, due to antisocial behaviour and vandalism. That is unacceptable, and I can assure my hon. Friend that my Department will raise it with South Western Railway.

[Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)]

T6.   In the past seven months, I have been contacted by 18 constituents who have faced unacceptable delays in getting responses from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about licensing issues where a review by the medical team is required. Each time I have intervened and each time the issue has been resolved, but it is not the mark of a functioning system that an MP has to intervene in every complaint to get a response. What will the Secretary of State do to ensure that constituents can get a response from the DVLA without having to mobilise their MP every time?

[Heidi Alexander]

The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue. I have been in contact with the DVLA about this matter; it is putting new systems in place to ensure that it is doing everything that it can, as standard, to process these cases as quickly as possible. In the meantime, I have been keen to ensure that there is an escalation mechanism. I am pleased to hear that her constituents have got a quicker response after they have contacted her, but that should not have to be the case or the norm.

Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords]

Debate between Heidi Alexander and Ellie Chowns

2nd reading
Monday 2nd June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Morton]

rose—

[Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)]

rose—

[Heidi Alexander]

I am not going to give way again to the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton). I will give way to the hon. Member for North Herefordshire.

[Ellie Chowns]

Does the Secretary of State recognise that rural constituencies such as mine have particular needs, and that the funding needs to reflect the extra costs associated with rurality, as well as the demographic demands? Young people, older people and people on low incomes rely on buses more than others. Will those factors be taken into account in the funding mechanisms for bus services?

[Heidi Alexander]

I can reassure the hon. Lady that we have taken those issues into account in our allocation of this year’s funding.

Let me now explain our approach. Funding, even record funding, without reform means throwing good money after bad, and that brings me to the Bill. Our reforms are not ideological. Regardless of what some may say, this is not about public ownership versus private enterprise. It is about enabling more people to use buses, about ensuring that those services are safer, more reliable and more accessible, and about harnessing the best of devolution.