Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Lightwood and Joshua Reynolds

Thursday 11th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

I regularly raise issues affecting the bus sector with the Department for Business and Trade and will continue to do so. I will raise the specific point my hon. Friend makes with the relevant Minister and write to him following that conversation.

[Mr Joshua Reynolds (Maidenhead) (LD)]

Bus companies and local authorities are rightly being encouraged to buy electric buses. However, half of new buses in the United Kingdom are bought from China, which does not support our great British bus industry. Will the Minister elaborate on whether the current procurement rules for electric buses are suitable for encouraging bus companies to buy British?

[Simon Lightwood]

On the UK bus manufacturing expert panel, we have managed to strike an agreement with all mayoral combined authorities to insist on at least 10% social value in their contracts, which I think is a really important step forward. We will continue to work with operators and combined authorities to do our best to ensure that British manufacturers are able to compete.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Simon Lightwood and Joshua Reynolds

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Simon Lightwood]

We know how important local bus services are to communities. Our reforms of the bus sector, combined with £1 billion of investment, will ensure that local leaders have the necessary tools to ensure that bus services truly reflect the needs of passengers.

[Mr Joshua Reynolds (Maidenhead) (LD)]

T2. Over the past few weeks, I have seen at first hand how businesses on WhatsApp groups are using bots to buy up driving tests and then sell them at £250 or more. That is even after the Government’s changes that came into force on Monday this week. What further steps can the Secretary of State take to stop that practice?