Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support local bus services in Boston and Skegness constituency.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving local bus services is a key part of this government’s growth mission. The government will introduce a Buses Bill later this Parliamentary session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in Boston and Skegness, to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership.
In addition, the government has confirmed £925 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Local authorities can use the £925 million to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. We have also confirmed over £150 million to introduce a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, bringing total government bus investment confirmed at the budget to over £1 billion.
The government will continue working closely with local transport authorities including Lincolnshire County Council, and others, to deliver better bus services throughout England.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the service on the trainline between Grantham and Skegness.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
More modern Class 170 trains were introduced to this route in 2023, and additionally these trains will be completely refurbished over the next three years. Meanwhile, East Midlands Railway will continue to improve its timetable of strengthened trains and passenger handling in the summer peak, building on the success of the last two years.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support local bus services in Boston and Skegness.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving local bus services is a key part of this government’s growth mission, and the government has set out plans to deliver better bus services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions.
As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in Boston and Skegness, to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill will seek to increase the powers available to local leaders to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership.
In addition, the government has confirmed an additional £925 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London, bringing total bus investment at the Budget to over £1 billion. Local authorities can use the £925 million to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
The government will continue working closely with local transport authorities including Lincolnshire County Council, and others, to deliver better bus and public transport services throughout England.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to (a) reduce congestion in Boston and Skegness constituency and (b) improve road maintenance in rural areas.
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. For England as a whole, the Government has a manifesto commitment to enable local highway authorities to fix up to a million extra potholes a year.
Lincolnshire County Council is the local highway authority for the Boston and Skegness constituency, and it is therefore responsible for the maintenance of its local highway network. Lincolnshire County Council will receive £43.6 million from this Department during 2024/25 to help it carry out its local highway maintenance responsibilities. It is up to the local authority to decide how that funding is used.
Lincolnshire County Council will also receive £3.3 million for small scale transport improvements including reducing congestion through the Integrated Transport Fund.
To help reduce congestion through improving traffic flow, the Department has also provided Lincolnshire County Council with £878,352 for traffic systems since 2021: £250,000 from the Traffic Signal Maintenance Grant in 2021, and £500,000 from the Green Light Fund, and £128,352 from the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant in 2024.