Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87314, what discussions she has had with (a) Mayor Parker and (b) the West Midlands Combined Authority on funding to enable the Aldridge station project to progress from design work to delivery and completion.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government recently announced a £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding settlement for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which will be available to spend from 2027/2028 to 2031/2032.
Decisions on how this money is to be spent are devolved to Mayor Richard Parker and WMCA.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of highways maintenance funding allocated to the West Midlands for 2025–26.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is in receipt of £1.05bn of devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and has been allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. These funding settlements are for investment in the West Midlands local transport network including local highways maintenance.
For 2025/26, the Department has allocated £1.6 billion in capital funding for local highways maintenance nationally, including a £500 million uplift compared to the previous year. 25% of this uplift is contingent on local authorities adhering to reporting requirements and demonstrating that they are following best practice in highways maintenance. WMCA are eligible to receive an additional £8.6 million from this additional funding.
Decisions on how this funding is spent across the city region rests with the combined authority in line with local priorities.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of people employed a) by UK bus manufacturers and b) UK companies within the bus manufacturing supply chain; and what steps he is taking to increase jobs in this sector.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
According to industry estimates, the UK Bus Manufacturing sector employs around 4,300 people directly with approximately 13,000 in the supply chain. HMG is committed to boosting the UK bus manufacturing sector’s competitiveness, accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles and increasing jobs. This includes the £2.5bn DRIVE35, to support R&D in strategic vehicle technologies, accelerate their commercial scale-up, and unlock investment across zero emission vehicle manufacturing, including buses. In addition, HMG announced £15.6 billion for Transport for City Regions alongside a Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel bringing local leaders together to translate funding and reform plans into a steady and growing pipeline of manufacturing orders.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25857 on Written Questions: Government Responses, and to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82741 on Transport: Finance, if she will provide a relevant hyperlink to the information.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Transport for City Regions settlements (TCR) allocations, published in June 2025, can be found at Transport for City Regions funding allocations - GOV.UK
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with (a) the West Midlands Combined Authority and (b) Walsall Council on using the new statutory role for devolved leaders under the Railways Bill to prioritise the reopening of Aldridge Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department welcomes increased influence of devolved leaders to help shape the future of the country’s rail network. This government has also confirmed a £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions settlement for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to 2031-32 to deliver its priorities for local transport improvements. Should Aldridge Station be a priority, the region could consider using this settlement to fund its delivery. Continuing designs and a business case for the scheme, sponsored by WMCA and undertaken by Network Rail, will be completed in Spring 2026.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Metrolink tram extension in Greater Manchester; and if it plans to fund further (a) feasibility and (b) business case studies for new routes in and around Oldham.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The responsibility for local transport in Greater Manchester, including the operation, development and future enhancement of the Metrolink network is a matter for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Mayor.
Between 2022-23 and 2026-27, we are providing £1.07bn of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement funding to Greater Manchester to deliver transformational change to Greater Manchester’s transport infrastructure. Beyond that, we have confirmed a £2.5bn Transport for City Regions settlement for Greater Manchester from 2027-28 to 2031-32.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide (a) additional funding and (b) guidance to local authorities to support the expansion of School Streets schemes across England.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 19 November 2024, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published guidance for local authorities in England on how to set up and manage a School Streets scheme. This can be found on the government website.
Funding for School Streets Schemes is available from a variety of funding sources, including the Consolidated Active Travel Fund which was announced in February 2025 as part of £222.5 million of funding being made available for local authorities for 2024/25-25/26. Additionally, the Spending Review of June 2025 allocated £616 million over the next four years to build and maintain walking, wheeling, and cycling infrastructure. Further funding is available from wider transport funds, such as Transport for City Regions settlements.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help increase economic growth in Hazel Grove constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
There is excellence right across the country and this government is backing it: lifting living standards and putting more money in people’s pockets. Greater Manchester Combined Authority will receive £2.5bn through the Transport for City Regions Fund and the Greater Manchester Investment Zone is expected to deliver £1.1 bn in private sector investment and 32,000 jobs.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to provide funding by the end of this Parliament to local authorities to enable them establish a minimum level of public transport connectivity.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The Government is already providing funding to local authorities to help them deliver improved local transport and bus services. This includes over £700 million to support and improve local bus services in 2025/26 as part of over £1 billion confirmed at the Autumn 2024 Budget. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council have been allocated £6 million of this funding.
At the Spending Review, we confirmed additional funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services and will announce individual multi-year allocations for local authorities later this year.
This investment sits alongside the Government’s Bus Services Act 2025, which became law on 27 October. This legislation will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England.
The Spending Review also confirmed £2.3 billion through the Local Transport Grant over the Spending Review period for local transport improvements in places outside areas receiving Transport for City Regions settlements. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has been allocated nearly £20 million of this funding over the financial years 2026-2030.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for informing local transport authorities of their Local Transport Grant allocation.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Local Transport Grant (LTG) is a £2.3bn grant for local transport enhancements and maintenance, comprising both capital and resource funding from 2026/27 onwards. The grant is allocated to local transport authorities in England outside of London and areas that receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) or Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding.
In June, individual local transport authority allocations for the £2.2bn of LTG capital funding were published on gov.uk, covering the years 2026/27 to 2029/30. In September, allocations for the remaining £104m of LTG resource funding were published, covering the years 2026/27 to 2028/29.
Further transport funding allocations for local transport authorities from 2026/27 onwards, including for highways maintenance, buses and active travel, will be announced in due course.