Speeches by Dixon.

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

“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 about lots of different grants. Even as a Committee member, I am still a little confused, so I am not sure how it is for those in receipt of these funding allocations. There are many different pots, many of them short term, and many have previously been extended at short notice. I know that DfT is now lo…”

“That is very encouraging; thank you.”

“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…”

“On the public subsidy for socially necessary services, with local authorities’ budgets being very squeezed, we have seen Bradford council having to review school buses, which obviously makes it very difficult for parents to be confident that their children can get to school safely and on time. Would you see some of the…”

“Do you have a timescale for bringing forward new reform?”

“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 …”

“Okay. If you could update the Committee as soon as you have that, that would be good. You mentioned the fare cap. BSOG is, I think, the mechanism by which that cap has been done. Have you evaluated the decision to extend the bus fare cap to March 2027, and what data is there on how the move from, I think, £2 in some ar…”

“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…”

“Obviously, the concern is that the affordability issues hit those who can least afford it and do not have access to cars because of cost. I would be keen to get any further breakdowns of that.”

“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…”

“For the BSOG?”

“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 commend my hon. Friend for being such a champion for Bolsover and wanting to secure opportunities for her constituents to get the education that they deserve. I am sure that the Minister heard her words. By improving education across the board, including further education, we can increase social mobility and address …”

“I will take the intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) first.”

“I thank the hon. Lady for making that point. It is important that the general funding available in education for those taking on disadvantaged students is reflected in things such as the pupil premium. FE certainly plays a huge role in widening participation of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as by offeri…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent intervention, pointing out some of the cuts that her constituents are experiencing at the hands of the SNP Government in Scotland. It is incumbent on them to ensure that all children and adults have the opportunities to learn and continue to update their skills. In conclusion, I…”

“My hon. Friend is setting out, in a very eloquent way, the amazing work of the Labour Government. I am proud—I hope he agrees—of the previous Labour Government’s achievements in setting up and rolling out Sure Start. Independent research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed what amazing outcomes children had late…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for further education institutions. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Christopher. Up and down the country, further education institutions are educating and training 1.6 million people, providing them with the skills they need. These col…”