Bus Fare Cap

Simon Lightwood Excerpts

Tuesday 1st September 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Simon Lightwood)]

My noble Friend the Minister of State for Transport (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) made the following ministerial statement on 22 July 2026:

I wish to inform the House that the Government are today announcing single bus tickets will be capped at £2 in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2027. This measure will mean millions of passengers could save up to a third off a single journey, helping with the cost of everyday travel and supporting access to work, education, healthcare and leisure.

The new £2 cap is backed by £400 million of extra Government funding. This action to ease the cost of living is being funded by savings from reprioritising the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s budget, including by switching funding for international climate from grants to loans.

The scheme will replace the existing £3 fare cap and ensure that eligible single bus fares on participating services cost no more than £2. It will particularly benefit passengers making longer-distance journeys, including those in rural and coastal communities, where fares can often be significantly higher.

Today’s announcement sits alongside the Government’s wider investment in buses. Earlier this year, we announced over £100 million of additional support for the bus sector, including free bus travel for children aged five to 15 on participating services in August as part of the Great British summer savings scheme. This investment also includes funding for local transport authorities and bus operators to address rising costs in the sector, helping to maintain services and keep fares affordable. We have today confirmed the individual allocations local transport authorities will receive.

The Government recognise that affordable fares are only one part of delivering better bus services. We have already committed more than £3 billion for buses over the next three years, alongside significant reforms through the Bus Services Act 2025. These reforms give local transport authorities greater powers and flexibility to shape bus services around the needs of their communities, whether through franchising, enhanced partnerships or other locally led approaches.

This Government are committed to ensuring that buses remain affordable, reliable and accessible. By reducing fares, supporting local transport authorities and providing long-term funding certainty, we are helping people stay connected to opportunities, supporting local economies and laying the foundations for stronger bus networks across the country.

[HCWS297]

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Lightwood Excerpts

Monday 10th July 2023 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Felicity Buchan)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his excellent private Member’s Bill, which the Government were happy to support as it tackles a very real problem. The Bill has received Royal Assent and will become law on 29 August; we will start the consultation as soon as is practicable thereafter.

[Simon Lightwood (Wakefield) (Lab/Co-op)]

Last week at business questions I raised the case of Tyrrell Court in Wakefield, where the social landlord, Wakefield and District Housing, has added a new service charge for communal lighting on top of the charge for window cleaning and communal cleaning, despite people having been tenants for 20 years without ever being charged that fee before. It adds up to £125 extra per year. Is the Secretary of State as concerned as I am that landlords are introducing these charges when people can afford them least?

[Michael Gove]

It does indeed sound a concerning case, and we will follow up.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Lightwood Excerpts

Monday 27th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to increase the provision of social rented housing.

[Simon Lightwood (Wakefield) (Lab/Co-op)]

21. What steps he is taking to increase the provision of social rented housing.

[The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Michael Gove)]

Before I answer the questions, may I on behalf of the Government extend my congratulations to Humza Yousaf on his election as leader of the Scottish National party? We look forward to working with him in the future. It has been noted that he won by 52% to 48%, so I hope that SNP colleagues will agree that there is no need for another vote.

Everyone should have access to a high-quality and safe affordable home. Our affordable homes programme is investing £11.5 billion to deliver tens of thousands of new affordable homes, and a significant proportion will be made available for social rent, directly helping those most in need.

--- Later in debate ---

[Simon Lightwood]

Last year the Public Accounts Committee assessed the Government’s affordable homes programme. It concluded that targets were being missed, that areas with high demand were not prioritised and that savings to be made by reducing temporary accommodation were not assessed. In Wakefield the council is using hotels such as Citilodge to house homeless people, because it lacks the funding and resources to acquire enough social housing. When will the Government step in and help councils to address the social housing shortage?

[Michael Gove]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the point he makes. There is a housing shortage overall, not just in social housing, and we need to work with local government and others to increase supply. The affordable homes programme is a critical part of that, and that money would not be available if we were to follow the prescriptions on the economy that those on the shadow Front Bench put forward.