Transport Connectivity: Midlands and North Wales

Gill Furniss Excerpts

Thursday 22nd January 2026 Westminster Hall

[Amanda Hack]

The economic benefit of effective and connected transport is there for us to see. Having never worked in London before, it always surprises me how easy it is to get to places—if a bus or train gets cancelled, it is fine, because there is one five minutes away. If a bus gets cancelled in my constituency, people need to get a taxi or they will not get home. That is the inequality that we see.

What does this issue mean in my constituency? Around 87.4% of households in North West Leicestershire have access to one car or van, compared with 61% in Manchester and 22% here in London. With the lack of available and reliable public transport, more people are forced to rely on personal transport, thereby increasing the volume of cars and vans on our roads. That also has a devastating impact.

Some 80% of east midlands commuters drive, and the average number of rail journeys per resident is just seven per year, which is half the rate of the west midlands and a third of the east of England. In fact, East Midlands airport has the highest proportion of travellers getting there by car, at 91%, which is mainly down to it having the lowest connectivity of all airports across the UK. We have to think about transport connectivity—railways, buses—and how we get to our airports.

North West Leicestershire has not had a passenger rail service since the Ivanhoe line closed there in the ’60s. My constituency relies heavily on buses, but I will say much more about the Ivanhoe line next week in a dedicated debate on the subject.

I have done a little research on how my constituents get to their nearest train station. From Coalville, the station is about 12 miles away, and it would take an hour on public transport to get to Loughborough or Leicester—far too long; it would be about 30 minutes by car. It would also take about an hour to get from Ashby-de-la-Zouch to Burton train station, but that would include more than one bus, which could be problematic for travellers, who are really reluctant to take multi-bus journeys because one of the buses might fail to come. Residents in Kegworth have the most convenient public transport journey to a train station—to Loughborough, which takes just 36 minutes. However, East Midlands Parkway train station is only a few minutes by car.

We are massively underserved as a result of this connection problem between rail and buses. The fact is that my constituents have to make ridiculous, non-efficient journeys just to get where they need to be. I would welcome the Minister’s view on how the difficulties of connecting communities are a real barrier to growth, as my hon. Friend the Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson) mentioned in her intervention.

My constituents tell me that they are driving to get to the train station anyway, often in the wrong direction, so they might as well continue by car to their destination and avoid getting on the train altogether. That means more cars on our roads and more pressure on our road network.

Obviously, I have given simple examples, but I want to think about what the situation means for my constituents when they are trying to get to work, school or hospital. Accessible, efficient, reliable public transport should not be a luxury; it should not be a postcode lottery, but that is what it seems to be. When I meet young people across my constituency, they tell me that the public transport situation is a huge barrier to getting the training opportunities—the apprenticeships and classes—that they want and deserve.

Recently, a resident of Ashby-de-la-Zouch got in touch about their daughter’s problems in getting to college in Loughborough. I thought it would be useful to share their words:

“The number of buses are extremely limited and this results in her leaving the house at 06.30 am and not returning until 7 pm with several hours waiting in and around bus stops”

—for a girl of 16, that is not ideal.

“Secondly, the service has on multiple occasions failed to turn up and left her in Loughborough without a way of getting home other than hoping my wife or myself are able to pick her up.”

When a young person is trying their best to get their life on track, the very last thing we should be doing is putting additional hurdles in front of them. Yet for too many, transport—or the lack of it—becomes a deciding factor in whether they can engage in their chosen education at all.

If we get transport connectivity right, the impact on individuals, families and the long-term prosperity of our regions can be transformational. I cannot continue to accept a situation in which my constituency has an international airport yet has no passenger rail and such poor bus services.

[Gill Furniss (in the Chair)]

Order. I warn hon. Members that there may be a vote soon.

Oral Answers to Questions

Gill Furniss Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lilian Greenwood]

Yes, of course.

[Gill Furniss (Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)]

14. What steps she is taking to decarbonise the transport sector.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood)]

Our new maritime decarbonisation strategy, which launched this week, is the latest demonstration of this Government’s commitment to decarbonising transport. We are overhauling public transport services to make the sustainable choice the most convenient one, turbocharging the roll-out of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and making the UK a world leader in the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels.

[Gill Furniss]

I am delighted that our Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, is bringing local buses back under public control. Does the Minister agree that taking back control of our buses will allow us to deliver on a low-carbon future for local transport services? What steps is she taking to increase the roll-out of zero emission buses nationwide?

[Lilian Greenwood]

I too welcome the steps that Mayor Coppard is taking to deliver better bus services for passengers in South Yorkshire. I know that the Minister for Local Transport was delighted to launch our new UK bus manufacturing expert panel in Sheffield earlier this month, which will help to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. Expanding the roll-out of zero emission buses is central to our efforts to decarbonise the bus fleet and improve air quality. Our Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will accelerate that by requiring bus operators not to use new non-zero emission buses.

Coastguard Helicopter Services

Gill Furniss Excerpts

Tuesday 14th January 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. Is this your first time chairing?

[Gill Furniss (in the Chair)]

Yes.

[Jim Shannon]

Then I wish you well in your new role. I am sure that you and I and others will meet on a number of occasions—

Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015

Gill Furniss Excerpts

Monday 21st October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Chris Vince]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that the principle should be that drivers should be licensed by the local authority for the area in which they are operating.

Cross-border hiring is undermining high standards, and it strips councils like Harlow of the power to oversee and enforce proper regulations. A driver who loses their licence in one district can simply apply for a licence elsewhere and continue operating with little or no scrutiny. Local authorities lack the enforcement powers to police out-of-town drivers, and that leaves a gaping hole in our public safety framework. How can we claim to protect our constituents, when such fundamental weaknesses exist in our system?

[Gill Furniss (Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. Does my hon. Friend agree that the lack of scrutiny may pose a risk to members of the public, particularly in safeguarding and the safety of vehicles? In Sheffield, where I am from, the licensing team is unable to check the vehicles on the road and whether they are being driven by properly licensed drivers.

[Chris Vince]

My hon. Friend is right; this is not just a bureaucratic oversight, but a public safety crisis waiting to happen. Vehicles are not being inspected regularly enough and drivers are not being vetted thoroughly enough. Passengers, who trust that any taxi they step into is safe, are the ones left exposed. Taxis often serve the most vulnerable members of our community. Can we truly say that we are doing our duty to protect them under these conditions?

The inconsistency in signage requirements across different districts only deepens the confusion. In Harlow, we enforce clear and visible signage—a rooftop box for taxis and door signs for private hire vehicles. Not every district requires that and, as a result, passengers are left guessing whether the vehicle they are entering is legitimate and safe, and local councils are forced to battle through bureaucratic layers just to verify the safety and legality of those vehicles. That is unacceptable. This deregulation has not just lowered standards but put lives at risk. We cannot wait for an accident or tragedy to spur us into action. We must be proactive, not reactive. We need legislation that reflects the pace of modern life and the demands of today’s safety standards. We cannot fall behind.