Written questions by Williams.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the condition of local roads in Staffordshire.

The Department published a new traffic light rating system for all local highway authorities in England on 11 January which rates authorities red, amber or green based on the condition of their roads, how effectively they spend their record Government funding, and whether they do so using best practice. This system allows the Government to identify where authorities need to improve and to provide them with support to ensure road conditions improve nationwide. Staffordshire County Council received an overall amber rating. Its three scorecards show amber for condition, green for spend, and amber for wider best practice. The Government recognises that the condition of local roads has been affected by historic underinvestment. To address this, it has committed a record £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years, in addition to £1.6 billion provided in the last financial year. This longer-term funding provides authorities with greater certainty to plan ahead and move from short-term repairs to more proactive and preventative maintenance.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the hourly electric train service between Crewe and Birmingham.

The previous change in the December 2022 timetable was designed so West Midlands Trains could optimise the connections for passengers travelling to and from Stone and deliver high levels of operational performance. Officials continue to discuss possible ways of restoring such a service with West Midlands Trains.

Whether her Department plans to grant local authorities powers to (a) improve and (b) regulate private bus services in areas without bus franchising.

Improving local transport services is a key part of this government’s growth mission, and the government has set out plans to deliver better bus services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions.As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this parliamentary session. The Bill seeks to deliver new powers for local leaders and will empower them to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising high quality partnerships with private operators, or public ownership. In addition, government is undertaking a review into Enhanced Partnerships between local authorities and bus operators with a view to strengthening collaboration and delivery.