Speeches by Atkinson.

“When asked about the state of bus services, you used words like mixed, precarious, challenging and long-term decline. The 2021 national bus strategy aimed to reverse bus service decline and increase patronage. How would you judge its success?”

“Rather than taking all morning, though, if you had a headline as to why it was not delivered in the way it was supposed to be, would you be able to give an indication as to some of the reasons why that happened, or what we saw happen?”

“Thank you.”

“I have a two-part follow-up question. Part of the aim of the 2021 strategy was to encourage a move from cars to buses to support net zero goals and improve air quality. Has that shift happened? I think I might know the answer to that. Where would interventions be best focused to encourage modal shift?”

“The concern that I have had on some routes is that even when a route was very popular, if it was popular with those on concessionary fares or not having to pay, or with students and young families, it might not be commercially profitable even though the social value of the route was very high. Do you feel at the moment…”

“Mr Morton, you have raised the real issues with bus driver shortages several times. Unite has reported a current driver shortfall of 4,000. What impact would you say that driver shortages have had on bus services’ viability and reliability?”

“You have talked about a number of different issues and barriers in relation to recruitment and retention. A lot of that has been focused on recruitment. Pay is obviously a big part of it, but when it comes to retention what have you found works and what more needs to be done?”

“Continuing on social value, declining bus services can really impact on access to health services, particularly for those who are disabled and on low incomes. How do you think that we can address that?”

“Access to health services by buses.”

“Thank you. That is really helpful. What role do you think poor bus connectivity plays in the context of mental health?”

“I am proud to be a Derby MP and to represent a city with incredible engineering, manufacturing and technological expertise and skills. We make things in Derby. Yes, we have industrial giants such as Rolls-Royce, Alstom and Toyota, but we also have the brilliant small and medium-sized companies in their supply chains an…”

“Thank you. Can I ask about the aviation strategy and how that fits into the Government’s wider transport strategy?”

“Is there already any thinking about how it fits with the wide transport strategy as it stands and how that will be impacted?”

“The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has stated that any aviation expansion has to take place within carbon budgets and within environmental limits. You have already talked about the fantastic work that Rolls-Royce is doing in pushing decarbonisation. What else can we do to achieve that? Can it be ac…”

“I want to ask about regional airports as well. We have East Midlands very close to Derby. What role do regional airports play in their local economies?”

“Does anybody else want to talk about the regional benefits?”

“East Midlands has a lot of freight, so it is slightly different.”

“What is the Government’s vision for UK aviation?”

“I have been supporting parents in Derby North who currently face a wait of more than a year for their children’s SEND tribunals, causing agony as they are left in limbo. We know that the historical lack of funding for local authorities, suitable school places and educational psychologists has contributed to the delays.…”

“Will the right hon. Member assist me in identifying where the new clause makes it clear that it is only in relation to children, as opposed to anyone in our schools?”