Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of (a) bus and (b) light rail services in Stoke-on-Trent North constituency.

On 23 May, the Government announced a further £283 million to help protect and increase bus and light rail services as we begin to restart our economy.

As part of the ‘Better Deal for Bus Users’ package £30 million of additional funding is also being provided to local authorities to improve current bus services, or restore lost services where needed.

The Department will continue to work with both sectors to understand how services can adapt to any ‘new normal’ that emerges from the Covid-19 outbreak so that a sustainable long-term recovery can be made.