Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the amount that local authorities have spent on repairing potholes in (a) Suffolk and (b) Suffolk Coastal constituency in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Guy Opperman
In 2023/24, Suffolk County Council received £35 million of capital funding from the Department for Transport, an increase of 30% compared to the previous financial year, with much of the additional funding made possible by the decision to reallocate funding from the HS2 programme. The Department asked all local highway authorities to publish a plan on how they intend to spend the additional funding being provided, and Suffolk County Council’s plan is available on its website.
Under the 1980 Highway Act, it is the responsibility of the local highway authority, in this case Suffolk County Council, to maintain and manage its highway network. The Department for Transport allocates capital funding to local highways authorities to enable them to maintain their highway networks, but decisions on how much of this, and how much of their other income, is spent mending potholes as opposed to maintaining other highway assets are entirely matters for them.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 21014 on Minibuses: Driving Licences, if he will publish a breakdown of the £3 million per year Bus Service Operators Grant by operator in receipt of the grant.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Details on which community transport operators have received BSOG funding are published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-operators-grant-payments-to-english-operators-from-2010-onwards.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Leader of the House on bringing forward a debate on the National Transport Strategy.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The scheduling of parliamentary business is not a matter for the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department provides grants to (a) social enterprises and (b) charities for the provision of training for D1 licences.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department makes available over £3 million each year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to community transport operators, who are predominantly charities operating vehicles that require D1 licences. Community transport operators receive £1.60 for every £1 claimed, reflecting the increased costs faced by the sector and supporting them to continue delivering inclusive and accessible transport across the country.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to repeal section 5(2) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999.
Answered by Guy Opperman
I am mindful of the particular concerns of the Hon Lady on this issue, we keep it under close review, and whilst there aren’t current proposals, that does not preclude their introduction at a future date.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many journeys were made using the £2 bus fare cap in (a) Suffolk and (b) Suffolk coastal district in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Transport has contracted with external delivery partners to complete a robust monitoring & evaluation of the impact of the Bus Fare Cap Grant, and as a part of this, extensive data is collected from operators including the number of ticket sales. However, the data is commercially sensitive and cannot be disaggregated by region in a way that would provide journey numbers for Suffolk or Suffolk coastal district. The Department will publish the final report evaluating the impact of the £2 fare cap in the spring of 2024.
For 21/22 and 22/23, bus passenger journeys made in Suffolk were 9.5 million and 12.2 million respectively (BUS01: Local bus passenger journeys). This 28% increase in passenger journeys will likely have been impacted by the introduction of the £2 bus fare cap from 1 January 2023, which the Government has extended until the end of 2024. This takes total Government investment in the £2 bus fare cap to nearly £600 million.
The Department for Transport's local bus fare statistics show that between September 22 and September 23, bus fares have dropped by 6.2% in England, outside London, and by 11% in non-metropolitan parts of England. In Scotland, Wales and London, where the buses are devolved, fares increased by 9.8%, 6.2% and 6.0%, respectively.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which rail lines and services broadband improvements will be financed from the £53.1 million fine imposed on Network Rail by the Office of Rail Regulation.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department for Transport will work with the railway industry to establish a fund that will prioritise improved mobile communications on metropolitan and commuter train services into major cities across the country.