Speeches by Lightwood.

“I will indeed join the hon. Gentleman in calling on the council to do just that. There has been a 40% uplift in the funding to tackle our highway backlog and potholes. Some of that money can be used on improving walkways and cycleways, which are part of the highway.”

“I am really pleased to hear about St Paul’s. Giving young people cycle skills is so important, which is why we are investing £30 million a year in Bikeability cycle training in England. Active travel is a devolved matter, but I am sure my counterpart in the Scottish Government will consider a visit.”

“Our investment in active travel will lead to fewer sick days and millions more journeys walked, wheeled and cycled every year. More than £17 million has been allocated to West Yorkshire for active travel. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend. I will also ask Active Travel England to make contact with the Friends of …”

“The Government recognise the importance of promoting active travel. We recently announced almost £300 million of active travel funding, enough for up to 300 miles of new footways and cycleways. We will say more very soon on the next steps for the third cycling and walking investment strategy.”

“While I would always welcome the opportunity to meet my hon. Friend, I urge him to lobby Staffordshire county council, which will get £11.1 million in bus funding in 2025-26, consisting of £5.8 million in revenue and £5.3 million in capital, specifically to support and improve bus services and infrastructure across Sta…”

“Transport that meets local, regional and national needs is vital for delivering this Government’s missions, and I am determined that communities like those in Newcastle-under-Lyme will benefit. The Chancellor announced over £650 million for local transport outside city regions at the autumn Budget, and the Secretary of…”

“My hon. Friend is a fierce advocate for good public transport in his constituency and I absolutely agree with the sentiment of what he said.”

“Unfortunately, up to 30% of drivers who take the D1 test fail. When we are considering changes, it is important that safety is at the forefront of our thinking.”

“It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) on raising the important topic of connectivity in the north-west—an area that was a cradle to so many transport innovations and is home to beautiful countryside and some of our greatest citi…”

“I will not give way, because I have a lot of points to make, but I am happy to have a conversation with Members afterwards. In the Greater Manchester area, about 50% of stations already have step-free access, approximately double the national average. We remain committed to improving the accessibility of the railways a…”

“I will not give way. We acknowledge that rates of step-free access remain low across Great Britain, which is why the Access for All programme is working to address that. In the Greater Manchester area—”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow East (John Grady) for bringing this short but crucial Bill before the House. I commend him for delivering such a brilliant and informative speech and for managing to cling on for as long as he did; some would call him the “Rocket Man” of Parliament. I thank all other Member…”

“This Government are determined to put passengers at the very heart of our railway, so I am sure that every effort will be made to ensure that that is indeed the case. As well as delivering a modern, welcoming experience for customers, the station will set the standard for future buildings, being the first of the new an…”

“I congratulate the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) on securing this debate and providing the opportunity to discuss the rebuilding of Wickford station. I also thank all hon. and right hon. Members for their contributions today. I recognise the right hon. Member’s concern and frustration at the…”

“My hon. Friend makes an important point. We must ensure that passengers are at the core of what we deliver, but the knock-on effect on businesses is also important. GBR will also focus on freight: how do we get some of the cargo transported by our roads on to our trains? My hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin (Alistair …”

“We are rewiring Britain’s railways to end decades of poor service, waste and timetable chaos. A unified, simplified railway will put passengers first, raise living standards and boost growth, as part of our plan for change. We will hear more about that when the railways Bill comes before Parliament. Disruption due to t…”

“It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson) on securing the debate and providing this opportunity to discuss the performance of Thameslink services, and I thank the hon. Members who interjected to make points, which I will try to addr…”

“Ministers and officials are in regular contact with Northern Rail. We recognise that its performance is totally unacceptable, and with the challenges that Northern Rail faces, it will take time to become a stable and reliable service. I would be absolutely delighted to work with my hon. Friend.”

“The accessibility of all modes of transport is extremely important to this Government. I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this matter further.”

“I agree that investment in our transport infrastructure across the country is essential to our growth mission. I am aware of the investment zone bid involving Glasgow airport, and the aviation Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East (Mike Kane), would be delighted to visit in the near future.”