Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Voaden Excerpts
Thursday 26th June 2025

(1 day, 16 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mike Kane Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Kane)
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Everyone should be able to travel with dignity and ease, which is why we launched the aviation accessibility task and finish group last year. I expect to be able to provide an update soon, when that group publishes its findings. As my hon. Friend has mentioned, the Civil Aviation Authority’s airport accessibility performance report 2024-25 demonstrates that improvements are still required in some areas.

Caroline Voaden Portrait Caroline Voaden (South Devon) (LD)
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Devon and Torbay combined county authority will receive just £40 million between 2026 and 2030 in local transport grant funding—less than half the amount awarded to York and North Yorkshire and a fraction of the billions given to the city regions, despite Devon having the longest road network in the country. A large local operator says that just £1 million a year would make a transformational change in Devon, where rural deprivation is well hidden. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the issues facing the bus network in Devon and the Government investment that is needed?

Simon Lightwood Portrait Simon Lightwood
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Our long-term bus investment will support rural areas to improve local bus services. That is on top of the £712 million we have allocated to local authorities in 2025-26.