Speeches by Lightwood.

“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I can assure him that the report will be released in due course.”

“There are no current plans to introduce an express service between Bournemouth and London, but I will keep my hon. Friend updated on the future plans regarding South Western Railway, which will become the first operator to be taken back into public ownership in May.”

“South Western Railway has been working closely with Network Rail and the local authority to provide a viable scheme that will result in the installation of new lifts at the station. To establish the likely cost of the scheme and assess affordability, detailed design works are under way and are expected to be finalised …”

“The Rail Minister has met MPs from both sides of the House to discuss this issue and has attended an industry programme board to ensure that passenger interests are considered and that disruption is minimised for passengers, both during and after construction.”

“The Department continues to work closely with the rail industry to minimise the disruption to passengers on the great western main line during the new station’s construction and operation. Our priority is to mitigate the impact on passengers, as far as possible, by investing £30 million for service continuity during pe…”

“I can assure the hon. Lady that I will raise this issue with the Rail Minister. I am quite confident that he has had these discussions with the devolved Governments.”

“We want a transport system for everyone, in which accessibility is designed as standard across the network so that we can make it easier for people to get on and off services, and build a safe and more secure network, particularly for women and girls. It is the Government’s ambition for disabled people to have equal ac…”

“I can assure the hon. Member that as soon as I am in a position to do so, I will give him more information on the Access for All programme.”

“My hon. Friend is a formidable advocate for this, having raised it numerous times. The Rail Minister is carefully considering the decisions made by the previous Government in relation to the Access for All programme. My hon. Friend will be aware that Leagrave was one of 50 stations across Britain selected by the previo…”

“We are working with industry to deliver a transport network that puts passengers and their needs at its heart. The new aviation accessibility task and finish group, for example, brings together industry and consumer advocates with first-hand experience to improve accessibility in air travel. The Government will take ad…”

“Buses are of course the most commonly used mode of public transport in Britain, and the lifeblood of our communities. I will be more than happy to meet the hon. Member.”

“Conservative Members had no plans or funding put aside to continue with the bus fare cap beyond 2024. We have secured £151 million to ensure that buses remain affordable for many. In some areas, without that intervention fares could have risen by as much as 80%.”

“It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Pritchard. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Steve Race) on securing this debate on the future of rail services in Devon, and I thank all hon. Members for their contributions today, including the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who is no longer i…”

“I thank the hon. Member for her contribution. I am convinced that the civil servants in the Department for Transport will be looking at numbers across the week, just to reassure her. The reintroduction of daily passenger services on the Okehampton line has seen strong passenger demand since regular services were launch…”

“I thank the hon. Member for that intervention. I can assure her that the Department for Transport is working closely with Departments across Government; we want to break down the silos of Departments and work on our collective missions. I have already had discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care and Si…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Vaz. I congratulate the hon. Member for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) on raising this important issue. He represents a constituency in a very beautiful part of rural England that, despite its proximity to the capital, is largely rural in nature. I thank the ho…”

“You make a powerful point. I would encourage you to make a submission to the integrated transport—”

“I will make sure that I pass that request to the Minister with responsibility for rail, who I am sure will be pleased to meet you. Within this Parliament, all passenger service operations will have completed the transition to being managed by Great British Railways, which we will establish as the directing mind for the…”

“Absolutely, of course. We need to ensure that we have effective, efficient and affordable public transport in every single corner of the country. In September, we took the first step in empowering local leaders by introducing a statutory instrument to expand franchising powers beyond mayoral combined authorities to all…”

“Having grown up in a coastal community, I understand that they have unique challenges. I will of course take that point away to the Department. The important work to improve services has already begun. We started reforming transport on day one after the general election. Take buses, the most commonly used mode of publi…”