Oral Answers to Questions

Julia Buckley Excerpts

Thursday 8th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

13. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services.

[Julia Buckley (Shrewsbury) (Lab)]

15. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services in rural areas.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

16. What steps she is taking to help improve local bus services.

--- Later in debate ---

[Simon Lightwood]

The multi-year allocations that we are providing to local authorities will give passengers greater certainty about their local bus services, allowing local leaders better to decide how they want local bus provision to look for years to come. It is great news for local people that Labour-run Stoke-on-Trent council is cutting fares and improving routes, and I would urge Reform-led Staffordshire council to take a leaf out of the book of its Labour-led neighbour, and put Government funding to good use.

[Julia Buckley]

I welcome the additional £13 million in the multi-annual commitment for bus funding for Shropshire through the local authority bus grant. That will greatly improve connectivity for my constituents in Shrewsbury, who have missed out over the last decade, in which our bus services were depleted by 65%. Ministers will be delighted to hear that in Shrewsbury we recently launched a successful night bus trial, offering evening services right through to midnight, thanks to the support of local partners such as Shrewsbury BID, councils and the police. What further steps will the Department take to ensure that such services can be maintained and expanded in wonderful rural communities like Shrewsbury?

[Simon Lightwood]

The Government recently allocated Shropshire £13 million of bus funding from 2026-27, and for the first time the formula used to calculate allocations now includes consideration of rural areas. In addition, our Bus Services Act 2025 gives local leaders the tools to deliver the bus services on which communities can rely.