Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of bus franchising on community connectivity in rural villages.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to delivering better bus services, including in rural areas. We have set out a plan to achieve this based on giving local leaders the powers they need and empowering them to choose the service model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, strengthened Enhanced Partnerships, or local authority bus companies.

Under franchised bus services, local authorities can assume responsibility for all elements of the bus network, including routes, timetables and fares. This can lead to improved levels of connectivity. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to franchising, and Government is engaging with Local Transport Authorities to identify potential alternative models of franchising that could be adopted and used by smaller or more rural authorities.

The Government has also allocated funding to five different areas to take forward bus franchising pilots. The pilots will test different franchising models to investigate how they can be implemented and deliver improved bus services for passengers, including in more rural locations. The pilots will provide funding, guidance, and practical resources to local transport authorities to identify the most suitable approach to bus franchising and wider bus reform measures.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are plans to build new service family accommodation in the constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Defence Housing Strategy sets out a vision for the future renewal of the Service family estate, backed by a 10-year programme of investment. Until the Strategy implementation plan is finalised, we are unable to confirm any future plans for new Service Family Accommodation in your constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment into the social value of increasing rail connectivity (a) in and (b) between rural and semi-rural areas.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Assessments of the social value of increasing rail connectivity (a) in and (b) between rural and semi-rural areas are calculated on a case-by-case basis to reflect local economic conditions, using Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG). As an aid to understanding the value of such connectivity between origins and destinations, the Department for Transport has developed the connectivity metric, which measures an individual’s ability to reach employment, services and social engagements.

Connectivity evaluates the value of destinations and the opportunity to reach said destinations using various modes of transport, including walking, cycling, driving and public transport. It considers different purposes of travel, like employment, education, shopping, leisure and healthcare. Its value will vary widely across geographies or between locations.

In assessing the full social value of connectivity, the Connectivity tool is one method of gauging such potential value. However, this assessment must then take a holistic view as set out in TAG, including the guidance on assessment of the wider benefits of rail interventions including reduced road congestion, improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Online Safety Act 2023 does not result in unintended consequences for (a) freedom of expression and (b) access to (i) supportive and (ii) archival online content.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Act, both Ofcom and in-scope companies will have duties relating to freedom of expression, for which they can be held to account. Platforms will not be able to arbitrarily remove content and users will have access to effective complaints procedures to appeal instances when content is unduly taken down. This will ensure that UK users can express themselves freely online and participate in pluralistic and robust debate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of restoration of rail service levels to pre COVID-19 levels.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We regularly review and publish passenger demand levels and work closely with operators to ensure they provide sufficient capacity to meet demand wherever possible. We have been clear with operators that they should meet demand in a manner that supports overall performance improvement and minimises the net subsidy taxpayers pay for rail.

Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) are an important tool for Members of Parliament to obtain detailed and targeted information to aid in the scrutiny of Government policy and operations. The long-established purpose of WPQs is to uphold transparency and accountability by ensuring that the Government provides clear and timely information to Parliament, and to the public via their publication.