PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Rural Transport Links - 10 October 2024 (Commons/Commons Chamber)

Debate Detail

Contributions from Patrick Spencer, are highlighted with a yellow border.
Con
Patrick Spencer
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
20. What steps her Department is taking to improve transport links in rural areas.
  10:16:58
Simon Lightwood
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
The Government know that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Under the previous Government, the loss of thousands of vital bus services across the country has left too many rural areas with poor transport links. That is why the Government will be introducing a new buses Bill to put power over local services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Suffolk and other rural areas in England.
  10:17:25
Patrick Spencer
While I welcome the news that this Government plan to deliver 1,200 UK-made zero-emission buses to help local authorities deliver on their transport ambitions and seize opportunities to embrace zero-emissions transport technology, may I ask what consideration the Secretary of State and her Department have given to the much-needed expansion of electric vehicle charging networks in rural communities, specifically those in central Suffolk, to support the roll-out of the electric fleet?
Simon Lightwood
We will be making an announcement soon on that expansion.

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