Speeches by Lightwood.

“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Navendu Mishra) on securing the debate and providing the opportunity to discuss Stockport railway station. I thank the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart) and my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Dame Meg Hillier) for their intervention…”

“We obviously want to see growth in every corner of the country, and we are awaiting the spending review outcomes, as is everybody else. We are aware that our partners will have their own priorities for the future of railways in their areas, and we are open to engaging with them directly on their plans. The core aim of …”

“I want to see a railway and a transport system across the country that are accessible to everybody. I will take away my hon. Friend’s comments on this individual case and discuss it further with the Rail Minister. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch. I am happy to meet with her to di…”

“My hon. Friend is a huge advocate for her constituency. Any additional services will be dependent on funding from the spending review. The Rail Minister will meet my hon. Friend to discuss the proposals further, following the conclusion of the spending review. The Department continues to review the application from Gra…”

“Southeastern plans services to meet passenger demand while ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. Timetables are kept under review and can be adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand. I am pleased to say that four additional weekday evening services will be introduced on the route in December.”

“I have to say, I really enjoyed my appearance at the Select Committee yesterday. Ultimately, we want people to choose to take the bus because it provides better connections in every part of the country to get people where they need be. It is a more reliable, more affordable, faster and more integrated form of transport…”

“Chiltern Railways faces challenges with ageing trains and is engaged in commercial negotiations to replace its oldest Mark 3 carriages. The Department is collaborating with Chiltern to ensure that the procurement delivers long-term passenger benefits. Separately, the Chiltern Class 168 fleet is undergoing significant r…”

“I am more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further.”

“I hope the Tees Valley Mayor is looking at the great work that Labour mayors are already doing across the country to transform public transport in their regions.”

“Improving bus connectivity in rural areas is vital for kick-starting growth. Our Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will give local leaders the powers they need for their communities, including in Northumberland, which as part of the North East combined authority was allocated £23 million in 2025-26 to improve services.”

“As I said, a decision is ultimately a matter for the regulator. Open access can provide benefits such as improved connectivity and choice for passengers, but it can also increase costs to taxpayers and create additional performance pressures on an already constrained network. The Department will always look at applicat…”

“Subject to final industry planning, East Midlands Railway plans to introduce an all-day direct Nottingham-Cleethorpes service in December, improving connections at Lincoln for journeys to London. The Rail Minister has been looking closely into possible direct trains between London and Cleethorpes, and looks forward to …”

“You have already seen in the changes that we have made in our approach to the bus grant, which consolidated BSIP and BSOG funding, that because it is done on a formula basis, all local transport authorities, including those in more rural and suburban areas, have received funding, sometimes for the first time in a long …”

“Sure. I recognise that there are significant concerns in the sector. We have shared that information from DRT providers with our colleagues in the Treasury. Ultimately, VAT policy is a matter for the Treasury, but we have made sure that those representations have got to where they need to go.”

“We are creating best practice guidance as a result of the trials that have been undertaken under the rural mobility fund. That is based on insights from the trials and from experienced local transport authorities that have been successful in creating effective DRT solutions. The first piece of guidance should be later …”

“Alternative service models are important for ensuring that communities have access to transport where traditional services may not be working or are not viable. Both DRT, demand-responsive transport, and crucially—it is important to emphasise this—community transport, of which I am a big fan, can fill the gaps where tr…”

“We and local transport authorities need to recognise that people do not exist in a bubble. They may live in one area and work in another, so it is in everybody’s interests that we work together collaboratively to break down any barriers when it comes to cross-boundary work.”

“We are giving more powers to local leaders in the bus services Bill. We expect them to work with each other and to think creatively with nearby authorities. That will be important when they redesign their networks to meet local needs. For example, the Bill will let franchising authorities give permits to operators who …”

“I don’t think that it is necessarily a silver bullet. Devolution is an exciting opportunity, and we have seen fantastic progress in places such as Greater Manchester, which obviously has franchised its network already. The bus Bill gives areas more power to improve their bus services, including new options such as crea…”

“Don’t get me wrong. This is not a simple ask; there are lots of moving parts.”