Speeches by Atkinson.

“You have talked about some of the sanctions and powers. Is there anything more that can be done on an incentivisation basis or other things that could help facilitate them to do it better, to let you know in advance?”

“I have a couple of questions on accessibility. We have been talking about size of vehicle, but because many of the community transport and DRT vehicles fall below the size thresholds that trigger requirements for wheelchair access and audiovisual information on board, what support do those sectors need to make sure tha…”

“Do you put that in place even when the vehicles are smaller, and it is not technically required?”

“Could I ask the same in relation to community transport?”

“That segues nicely into the next question. I know that it was covered a little bit at the start, but looking at the accessibility of DRT services, how do you respond to people who are digitally excluded and/or in areas with low mobile coverage? What is your experience of it, and how can it be overcome or improved?”

“I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and the fact that I am a proud trade union member. I give my full support to the measures in this landmark Bill. In Derby we make things, from nuclear reactors that power submarines to the trains, cars and aeroplane engines that get people and…”

“The Government’s commitment to introducing a Young Futures programme to prevent young people from being drawn into crime is welcome, especially as youth services and hubs were hollowed out under the Conservatives. Does the Home Secretary agree that prevention must be at the centre of the mission to tackle knife crime i…”

“T3. Since the Labour Government came to power, the list of patients waiting more than 65 weeks for treatment at my local hospital trust in Derby has gone down by a whopping 82%. With national waiting lists having fallen for four months in a row and the early delivery of the commitment to provide an additional 2 million…”

“Seven-year-old Skye has been bringing joy to the lives of residents at the award-winning Brookfields nursing home in my constituency, whether playing bingo, watching a film or chatting over dinner. Does the Leader of the House agree with me that everyone needs to be a bit more like Skye, and could we have a debate on t…”

“When new housing was built in Mickleover under the last Government, residents were promised time and again that they would get a new GP surgery, but it never happened. What can this Government do to ensure that when new homes are built, residents have the GP access they need?”

“I really enjoyed having a kick-about with Derby County women and the Sport Minister at our fantastic new football facilities at the Derby racecourse hub. Next week, the hub will host 14 Derby schools that are taking part in the biggest ever football session aimed at expanding football opportunities for girls across the…”

“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?”

“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?”

“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…”

“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?”

“Thank you.”

“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?”

“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?”

“Does anyone else want to comment on what needs to change, looking at the gaps in policy, to be able to make sure that we are not disproportionately impacting women when it comes to cuts to bus services?”

“You have talked about a couple of different groups, but are there specific demographics that you would say are disproportionately affected by poor bus connectivity?”