Written questions by Dinenage.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) number and (b) frequency of train services in the South Hampshire region.

Department officials work closely with all operators on seeking to increase service levels. The Department needs to balance demand with taxpayer money when approving additional service levels across the country.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing five-year funding settlements for (a) local transport and (b) bus service improvement plans.

This government is committed to providing greater stability to local government by giving councils multi-year funding settlements and ending wasteful competitive bidding. Improving bus services is a key part of this Government’s growth mission, and the government has set out plans to deliver better services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions. This plan includes reforming bus funding by giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding and allowing them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.

Whether she plans to maintain the £2 bus fare cap after 31 December 2024.

Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services for passengers is one of the government’s top priorities as we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The Department for Transport is looking at the future of the £2 fare cap as a matter of urgency and is considering the most appropriate and affordable approach for the future of the scheme.

Whether she has had discussions with train operating companies on the feasibility of increasing the frequency of train services in South Hampshire.

Department officials work closely with all operators on seeking to increase service levels. The Department needs to balance demand with taxpayer money when approving additional service levels across the country.