Local Bus Services

The transcript begins with several Labour MPs asking the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, about the steps she is taking to improve local bus services. Paul Davies, the MP for Colne Valley, noted that between 2011 and 2023, England saw a 20% reduction in bus services, with a 28% per capita decrease when adjusted for population growth. This decline has had a severe impact on rural areas, leaving many residents isolated and struggling to access essential services. In response, the Secretary of State acknowledged the poor state of the country's bus services, stating that politicians have neglected them for too long. She announced that the government will introduce a new "better buses Bill" this year, which will give local leaders the tools they need to ensure the delivery of high-quality bus networks, putting decision-making into their hands and accelerating the franchising process. Mary Kelly Foy, the MP for the City of Durham, expressed frustration with the bus services in her constituency, where buses are often 45 minutes late in villages. She asked the Secretary of State to assure her that the better buses Bill will allow the North East combined authority to enfranchise buses sooner rather than later, and requested a meeting to discuss the bus situation in Durham. The Secretary of State responded positively, stating that the better buses Bill is designed to help authorities like the North East combined authority, and that she and the Under-Secretary of State for Transport have met with the Mayor to discuss how to speed up the franchising process. Emma Lewell-Buck, the MP for South Shields, asked the Secretary of State to ensure that the better buses Bill will make provision to fully include local voices, not just those of elected officials. The Secretary of State acknowledged this concern, stating that for too long, private operators have been allowed to pick and choose routes and services with no say from local people or leaders, and that the better buses Bill will give local people a proper say on the routes and services they depend on. Ben Obese-Jecty, the MP for Huntingdon, raised the issue of villages in his constituency that receive no bus services at all, including Molesworth, where a significant investment in defence infrastructure is planned. He asked the Secretary of State to meet with him to discuss how the franchising process can ensure that rural villages are given the focus they urgently need. The Secretary of State agreed that it is unacceptable for entire villages to be cut off from bus services, and stated that the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is pursuing franchising, which the government is supporting to ensure that villages like those in the Huntingdon constituency are properly included.