Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Virendra Sharma and Andrew Stephenson

Thursday 11th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stephenson]

The Government recognise that changes in travel patterns, which have been accelerated by covid-19, need to be reflected, and we need to accommodate them in a more flexible style of working and travelling. We understand concerns about the cost of some rail fares and the impact that can have on people’s budgets. The Department is actively working with train operators to develop a solution that offers better value and convenience for those who commute flexibly, including on GTR routes, and we will provide a further update on that as part of the Government’s four-step road map out of lockdown.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for my second bite at the cherry this morning. I am deeply concerned that the traffic policy in my constituency is pushing more traffic on to arterial routes and disproportionately risking the health of the poorer and BAME residents there. What monitoring are the Government doing to ensure that well-intentioned pollution-cutting measures do not shift the problem on to the most vulnerable?