Local Bus Services

Debate between Mary Creagh and Marcus Jones

Wednesday 5th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

Does the hon. Lady welcome the partnership between Stagecoach, Conservative-led Warwickshire county council and employers on the new service from Nuneaton to Birch Coppice? The service is being run in conjunction with employers to fit their shift patterns, which will help many Nuneaton people to get to work.

[Mary Creagh]

I do indeed welcome that. I welcome any innovation from bus companies. It is important that we get large employers working with bus companies to talk about their shift patterns and, in particular, with NHS hospitals, which often tend to be built by the NHS outside city centres, without any consequential thinking about how people will access those health services or designing a bus service for people to use.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mary Creagh]

As I have said, Southampton council is doing no more than delivering the very strong cuts to its budgets that the hon. Lady’s Government have imposed on it and that she has voted for as a loyal servant of her party, so I tell the people of Southampton to vote Labour next time.

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

Will the hon. Lady give way?

[Mary Creagh]

No, I am going to conclude my remarks as many Members wish to speak.

We introduced free concessionary bus travel for pensioners and the disabled, bringing freedom to millions.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jones]

Will the hon. Lady give way?

[Mary Creagh]

I will not give way; I have two sentences left, and then I am going to sit down.

Only a Labour Government will tackle the cost of living crisis and drive renewal of our buses. Britain’s bus market is broken. The next Labour Government will fix it, and make buses once again a transport of delight.