Speeches by Dixon.

“The point is that, if the commercial services were operating more in the public interest, we might have less need for school buses. It seems that the two things could be better co-ordinated, but I appreciate that the money is in different places. The final point on money is capital, which you mentioned earlier. One of …”

“We have talked a bit about money and the public subsidy; the Public Accounts Committee is particularly interested in whether we are getting value for money for the public purse. Obviously, the subsidy peaked during the pandemic at 77% of revenue, and while there has been some recovery, it is now at 50% of revenue. Do y…”

“Capital.”

“That is very encouraging; thank you.”

“I would be grateful for an update specifically on that.”

“No, they are all about accessibility.”

“Efficiency sounds positive, but if it is because so-called uncommercial routes and uncommercial times have been cut, then from the point of view of the customer it is not a good thing. For lots of people in my rural villages, there are simply no buses, certainly at times of day that are of any use to get people to scho…”

“It puzzles me. We cannot address the problem unless we know what the barriers are in terms of people’s motivations and behaviour change. The Committee has received some evidence, not just about why people have not returned after covid, but about why they do not use buses generally. It is things like not feeling safe, b…”

“Good morning, and apologies for my late arrival. I want to pick up the theme that you have already started on about the decline in bus journeys as a result of covid and the differential in recovery of bus journeys. In my own area, covered by the West Yorkshire combined authority, the number of trips fell from some 168 …”

“Last but very much not least, I would like us to talk about the accessibility of buses and bus journeys, particularly for disabled and older people. We have received some excellent evidence from organisations, such as the Transformative Transport Service Design Initiative, setting out some of the persistent barriers th…”

“Clearly, colleagues were very exercised about floating bus stops on Second Reading of the buses Bill. I am glad you mentioned them and it is certainly important that we make changes. We also welcome some of the commitments in that Bill. Do you have data that will allow—or already allows—you to monitor what percentage o…”

“With the population ageing, more of us are going to have a disability, so ensuring that we can all still get out and about and enjoy our life is going to be a major priority. In the long run, how are you going to get more older and disabled people back on the buses?”

“You have mentioned demand-responsive services a few times. Could you say what difference those could make? I am thinking particularly of that last mile. For a lot of older people, even getting to the bus stop is a barrier. What do you really mean by “demand-responsive”? What would your vision be for that if it was work…”

“I was pleased to hear about training. I remember from work I did at the Centre for Ageing Better how the Isle of Wight was the front runner in training its bus drivers in age suits to appreciate what it was like to try and get on one of its buses. That training made a big difference to driver’s attitudes to people with…”

“Thank you for explaining it; to most people, “demand-responsive” sounds a bit abstract. But the reality is that for many people the ability to dial a ride—or whatever the particular community transport scheme is—can be really life-changing. I hope to see more on those pilots in future. I think that it probably it on ac…”

“Earlier this week, I spoke to Aid to the Church in Need, particularly about the situation for Christians in Syria. Hon. Members are obviously well aware of the recent suicide bombing of the St Elias Orthodox church in Damascus, and Christian communities are still facing persecution, including with destructive fires. Do…”

“I entirely agree that the FE college apprenticeships—these other routes—are important for disadvantaged children. I will expand on that in a moment. I am delighted that this Labour Government are committed to equipping the workforce with the skills they need to rebuild Britain, including through the establishment of Sk…”

“I am certainly happy to commend the leader of my hon. Friend’s local IOT. I recognise the contribution that IOTs make to training the next generation in all sorts of careers; they prepare them for the demands of some highly skilled roles in defence. FE colleges are not just about supporting our young people; they also …”

“Indeed, and I note that FE colleges, on average, have a higher number of SEND pupils than others. They give really good opportunities for children with additional needs to thrive and to go on and educate, so I commend the work of her local college.”

“I am pleased to hear that the Labour Government have secured the future of Harrogate college. I also agree that it is vital that, as the workplace changes, people keep their skills up to date with lifelong learning, so it is essential that we protect and maintain adult education funding. I would like to hear from the M…”