Speeches by Greenwood.

“I thank the hon. Lady for her support in acting to tackle what is a nuisance not just for disabled people, but for children walking on the pavement and for parents pushing buggies and prams. It is really important that we get this right. I am working speedily with my officials to do so, and I look forward to being able…”

“We are providing record amounts for local authorities this year, and we hope to provide a long-term funding settlement for local roads maintenance after the spending review.”

“I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend.”

“I understand the hon. Member’s wish to get his constituents moving; it is one that we share. I would be happy to look at his concerns in relation to the A38, and I will contact him with further information.”

“I understand how important it is for people to access their high streets. That issue obviously relates to parking, but it is also about the availability of active travel and public transport. I am not going to dictate how local authorities should implement parking restrictions in their area; that is for them to decide.…”

“I welcome my hon. Friend’s question. The previous Government failed to act and, like her, I am determined to tackle pavement parking. That is why I have met representatives of Guide Dogs, Living Streets, Sustrans and Transport for All to discuss this very important issue, which is absolutely fundamental to the safety a…”

“Officials in my Department are in regular discussions with Network Rail and train operators on opportunities to improve services across the Brighton main line, taking account of changes to commuter travel since the pandemic. Decisions about the Department’s capital portfolio will be announced after completion of the 20…”

“I appreciate the work that my hon. Friend is doing to stand up for his constituents, who rely so much on rail services. As he acknowledges, plans for a major upgrade to the Brighton main line were cancelled by the previous Government in the 2021 spending review, and they did not even acknowledge that that had happened.…”

“Last month, the Secretary of State announced further measures to tackle the unacceptable driving test backlog, including doubling training capacity for driving test examiners and offering overtime pay incentives to provide extra tests. That will create up to 10,000 extra tests a month. We are determined to get Britain’…”

“My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. We are holding the DVSA to account for successfully implementing the measures in last December’s seven-point plan. Some 165 new driving examiners have already passed their training and are working in driving test centres, and last year the DVSA provided 1.95 million tests. T…”

“The right hon. Gentleman raises an important point. We know that people are booking tests in parts of the country where they have no intention of taking a test, because they can swap that for a test in another driving test centre. That is one of the issues addressed in the call for evidence that was launched in Decembe…”

“We are acting to fix the mess that the shadow Minister’s Government left behind. Our seven-point plan is being implemented, and last month, the Secretary of State announced additional measures. We are determined to succeed where the last Government failed.”

“The power is there for the local authority to use it, if there are those overruns. I am willing to look at this again if we feel it is not having the desired impact.”

“There is good practice out there in the highways world. There will be places where this is happening really effectively. Perhaps inevitably, local authorities are coming to the Committee and telling you about the things that are not going so well rather those that just work and where there are good relationships.”

“I am Lilian Greenwood, the Minister for the Future of Roads.”

“I absolutely understand the frustration felt by all our constituents when the roads are dug up, and particularly when they are not properly reinstated. We know that lumpy, bumpy streets cause difficulties for everyone. I reflected on the evidence that you heard from Emma Vogelmann at Transport for All. They have partic…”

“There are a few things in that question. Everyone will recognise that the state of our roads has become a terrible mess. I do not know whether it is as bad in Scotland as it is in England, but certainly that is an issue that gets raised with me very regularly, both through correspondence and just out and about as a Mem…”

“I absolutely recognise that, if reinstatements have been poorly done, that will be a contributing factor to it. I have now completely forgotten the second part of your question.”

“There is a two-year guarantee for most works, and a three-year guarantee for works deeper than 1.2 metres. I know that, in Scotland, they have moved to a six-year guarantee period, and we will be interested to see what the evidence shows from that and whether it makes a difference. Like you, I questioned why a two to t…”

“I do not disagree, except that I know that it has been consulted on previously and rejected, so I would want to go back to look at the consultation in a bit more detail and see why it was rejected. I do not know whether part of it would relate to the fact that you will sometimes get a multiplicity of reinstatements, an…”