Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders in Greater Manchester on improving local public transport.

Officials in the Department have regular engagement with colleagues in Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and those across the districts. We work closely with the Mayor and GMCA to support their plans and strategies to improve public transport across Greater Manchester.

In February, we held the second of a series of Roadshows across the country in Manchester. This provided the opportunity for stakeholders across GMCA and wider to attend to share ideas and help shape the delivery of the Integrated National Transport Strategy.

We are providing substantial transport funding for the Greater Manchester region, including over £1bn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for 2022/23 – 2026/27 which is designed to significantly improve local public transport. TfGM is targeting delivery of this scheme in the early 2030s, with an outline business case due with the Department in early 2026. Additionally, an extra £200m for CRSTS was announced in October to provide further improvements to public transport in major city regions, including Greater Manchester.

CRSTS funding for 25/26 and beyond is being considered as part of the multi-year spending review in late spring, aligned with the government’s new Integrated National Transport Strategy, ensuring we are taking decisions in the long-term interests of the country.

Through the Greater Manchester Pathfinder Devolution Deal we are providing Greater Manchester with a single integrated funding settlement, which includes CRSTS, to ensure that funding is prioritised locally to meet local connectivity requirements. The Department has implemented a Task and Finish group to work closely with GMCA to gain further clarity of their transport devolution ambitions ahead of receipt of this settlement.

The Department has strongly endorsed and supported the successful introduction of the Bee Network, with the Secretary of State visiting GMCA to mark the implementation of the final stage of Bus Franchising in January. The Department is providing £66.3m in bus funding to GMCA in 2025/26.