Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many projects in Network North are at design stage.

Teams are working through delivery schedules and phasing of spend with delivery partners and within the Government’s overall fiscal plan. We will share further information when that work is complete. All schemes and programmes announced as part of Network North will go through normal business case approval processes to ensure value for money.

In terms of the more mature projects, we have already extended the £2 national bus fare cap, which will now continue to December 2024. We are also making £300m of funding available to improve the conditions of local roads across this financial year and next. Next financial year, there will also be an additional £150m of funding to support bus services through the Bus Service Improvement Plans.