Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment.
Answered by Pat McFadden - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The number of economically active people - which is people either in work or actively looking for work - has increased and stands at a record high.
Even if it takes them a little while to find a job, we want to support people back into the labour market and back into jobs. And through our Get Britain Working strategy, we are determined to give them the support they need.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether franchised bus networks in combined authorities are reliant on (a) emergency and (b) extraordinary Government funding support.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No. In England outside London, the only franchised bus services in combined authorities operate in Greater Manchester. Since franchised bus services were first introduced in Greater Manchester in September 2023, no emergency or extraordinary funding for franchised bus networks has been announced by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many new dentists have been given one-off welcome payments in (a) Broadland and (b) Norfolk in the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
We do not hold Golden Hello data at constituency level, but as of 22 September 2025, in England there were 97 dentists in post with a further eight dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. A further 224 posts are currently being advertised. Golden Hello data on regional allocations and posts filled will be published in due course.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has requested financial reporting from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the Bee Network since the 2019 assessment.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport works closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to support the development and delivery of the Bee Network. Since the 2019 assessment, the Department has not formally requested financial reporting specific to the Bee Network as a whole. However, GMCA is required to provide financial and performance reporting in relation to specific funding streams that support the Bee Network, including their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, the Local Authority Bus Grant, and one-off additional funding in 2023/24.
The Department continues to monitor the use of public funds through these mechanisms, but the overall financial management of the Bee Network remains a matter for Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress she has made in increasing rail freight growth.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government, alongside Network Rail and the rail freight sector, continue to make progress on ensuring the growth of rail freight. In the year April 2024 to March 2025, rail freight volumes increased by 5%.
Network Rail’s Access Charge Discounts Policy scheme has been crucial in helping new flows get up and running. Since launching in August 2024, the scheme has supported 15 new flows. Four of the five flows that have passed the discount period have continued to operate, undiscounted.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the volume of freight transported by rail.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental potential and its critical role in the UK’s resilience. Last year, rail freight volumes increased by 5%.
We will support future growth by placing a statutory duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight. We have also confirmed that there will be an overall target of an 75% increase in rail freight moved by 2050, alongside other targets that will be announced prior to the stand up of Great British Railways.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the Bee Network’s 2025-26 operating budget is funded by (a) the national grant, (b) local contributions, and (c) passenger revenues.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are supporting Greater Manchester to maintain and improve bus services in the Bee Network with £66.4m of Local Authority Bus Grant funding in 2025-26.
The overall operating budget for the Bee Network, including the breakdown between national grant, local contributions, and passenger revenues, is a matter for Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has has discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential fiscal impacts of the long-term subsidy requirements of franchised bus networks.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has not provided funding to local authorities specifically to franchise bus networks. However, we have confirmed investment of over £1 billion in 25/26 to support and improve bus services and to keep fares affordable, this includes £712 million for local authorities.
Under the Transport Act 2000, franchising authorities must carry out a detailed assessment to ensure that any proposed franchising scheme is feasible, affordable, and deliverable. This robust planning process helps minimise the need for central government intervention.
The Department has worked closely with Greater Manchester throughout their franchising process, and we will continue to do so to learn lessons to support other areas who decide to undertake franchising. There are a range of different franchising models that can be used, and the Greater Manchester model is just one. We want to understand more about how different models of franchising can work for different local areas. Alternative models have been set out in our revised statutory guidance to franchising authorities, and our pilot programmes will further develop practical tools and case studies to help LTAs choose and implement the approach that best fits their local needs.
The Government is committed to reducing the cost and complexity of bus franchising. Following the introduction of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, the Department will refresh franchising guidance to give authorities access to new powers that streamline the process.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set financial performance benchmarks that combined authorities must meet in order to access Government support for bus franchising.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has not provided funding to local authorities specifically to franchise bus networks. However, we have confirmed investment of over £1 billion in 25/26 to support and improve bus services and to keep fares affordable, this includes £712 million for local authorities.
Under the Transport Act 2000, franchising authorities must carry out a detailed assessment to ensure that any proposed franchising scheme is feasible, affordable, and deliverable. This robust planning process helps minimise the need for central government intervention.
The Department has worked closely with Greater Manchester throughout their franchising process, and we will continue to do so to learn lessons to support other areas who decide to undertake franchising. There are a range of different franchising models that can be used, and the Greater Manchester model is just one. We want to understand more about how different models of franchising can work for different local areas. Alternative models have been set out in our revised statutory guidance to franchising authorities, and our pilot programmes will further develop practical tools and case studies to help LTAs choose and implement the approach that best fits their local needs.
The Government is committed to reducing the cost and complexity of bus franchising. Following the introduction of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, the Department will refresh franchising guidance to give authorities access to new powers that streamline the process.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has reviewed the long-term financial sustainability of franchised bus networks.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government has not provided funding to local authorities specifically to franchise bus networks. However, we have confirmed investment of over £1 billion in 25/26 to support and improve bus services and to keep fares affordable, this includes £712 million for local authorities.
Under the Transport Act 2000, franchising authorities must carry out a detailed assessment to ensure that any proposed franchising scheme is feasible, affordable, and deliverable. This robust planning process helps minimise the need for central government intervention.
The Department has worked closely with Greater Manchester throughout their franchising process, and we will continue to do so to learn lessons to support other areas who decide to undertake franchising. There are a range of different franchising models that can be used, and the Greater Manchester model is just one. We want to understand more about how different models of franchising can work for different local areas. Alternative models have been set out in our revised statutory guidance to franchising authorities, and our pilot programmes will further develop practical tools and case studies to help LTAs choose and implement the approach that best fits their local needs.
The Government is committed to reducing the cost and complexity of bus franchising. Following the introduction of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, the Department will refresh franchising guidance to give authorities access to new powers that streamline the process.