Bus Funding
Debate between Jim Dickson and Louise Haigh(1 month ago)
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Louise Haigh
Torbay is a fantastic example of an area that has done well out of this funding settlement but was treated appallingly by the previous bus service improvement plan funding process. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that the recruitment of bus drivers is an issue that has plagued certain parts of the country, and we are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, through its “Get Britain Working” White Paper, to ensure that we can address recruitment and retention issues in the bus sector.
Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)
Just a few short weeks ago, when the new bus franchising arrangements were announced in this place, Conservative Members said that it would never work without funding attached. Now we have our answer, and the £1 billion of funding nationally and the £23 million of funding for Kent, which has already been mentioned, are hugely welcome and will certainly be a big boost for my residents in Dartford and also a big boost to our efforts to kick-start growth in the Thames estuary. Does the Secretary of State agree that boosting connections between our rural areas and our towns is vital to increasing access to jobs?
Louise Haigh
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I get very frustrated in the transport policy space because we often think of investment only in big infrastructure as a mechanism by which to achieve growth, but buses are essential to delivering growth in local communities. They connect people to jobs, to opportunities, to education and to each other, so they are not only a massive engine of growth but one of the most important engines of social justice available in transport policy terms.
Rail Performance
Debate between Jim Dickson and Louise Haigh(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Louise Haigh
The problem across the entire railway is that we do not have sufficient drivers or staff, so too many parts of the railways are reliant on rest day working agreements. We should not have to rely on people volunteering to come on shift in order to run a Sunday service, but unfortunately that is the case at Great Western Railway. We will not be harmonising contracts or terms and conditions at Great British Railways, as we have established, but we need to get drivers and conductors on modern terms and conditions that reflect the railway that we need. We are attempting to address the specific issue at Great Western Railway; as I say, we will come back to the House soon with an update on progress.
Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)
At a recent meeting with me to discuss rail improvements for my constituents, the chief executive of Southeastern—a nationalised company, as has been confirmed—was able to confirm that additional services between Dartford and central London are due to commence in December, as the Secretary of State mentioned. Can she outline any additional welcome improvements to services in the south-east, or other parts of the country, to which we can look forward?
Louise Haigh
We will see 44 additional trains per day on the new timetable from Southeastern. CrossCountry restored its full timetable today, and we hope to see new timetables from TransPennine Express in the coming weeks. We have procurements out for TransPennine Express and Southeastern, I believe, so my hon. Friend will see new rolling stock in due course.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Jim Dickson and Louise Haigh(2 months, 1 week ago)
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Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)
As a result of under-investment in the lower Thames crossing project, Dartford residents face a noxious cocktail of bad air quality and disruption, living as they do near the hugely over capacity Dartford crossing. Will my right hon. Friend consider making representations to the Treasury to ensure that the lower Thames crossing, which is a vital infrastructure project, is funded?
Louise Haigh
The decision around the development consent order for the lower Thames crossing is a quasi-judicial one. I am afraid I am unable to comment further than my written ministerial statement this week.