Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in (a) South Derbyshire constituency and (b) the East Midlands.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. East Midlands Combined County Authority have been allocated £40.5 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area, including South Derbyshire. In total, Local Transport Authorities across the East Midlands have been allocated £81 million of this funding.
The government also launched its plan to develop an Integrated National Transport Strategy which will set the long-term vision for transport in England to better serve all people who use it, including those in South Derbyshire and across the East Midlands.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help reduce road traffic incidents in South Derbyshire constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since the general election, the Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will share more details in due course.
Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the Local Authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve access to public transport in rural communities in (a) Derbyshire and (b) the UK.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this parliamentary session, which will put decision-making into the hands of local leaders across England, including in rural areas. This will allow local areas to determine how best to design their bus services so that they have control over routes and schedules.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. East Midlands Combined County Authority has been allocated £40.5 million.