Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Good local bus services have an essential role to play in keeping rural communities connected. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in rural areas. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help increase the availability of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund is providing local authorities in England with over £380m to support the installation of tens of thousands of public chargepoints.
As well as significant funding, the Government continues to make it easier, quicker and cheaper to install chargepoints. In December, the Government announced that it will make changes to planning legislation to facilitate off-street chargepoint installations and to allow the use of street works permits for quicker charger deployment. The Government also published guidance to help local authorities with cross-pavement charging solutions and the results of a review to address common issues around EV infrastructure and grid connections.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to decide whether her Department will provide funding for the Ely area capacity enhancement scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government is committed to delivering economic growth, and projects such as the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement have the potential to contribute to this. While the previous government made public statements of support for the project, no funding was provided to allow it to progress.
The Chancellor has been clear about the state of the nation's finances and has launched a multi-year Spending Review. Decisions and timescales about individual projects will be informed by the review process and confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has a strategy for maintaining floating roads in the Fens.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network.
Local highway authorities, such as Cambridgeshire County Council, have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. They are best placed to understand local needs and priorities as well as any particular challenges caused by the local geology or topography.