In the debate that followed the oral question delivered to the Minister for Transport, Lucy Frazer by Anna Firth, MP’s discussed the funding delivered to buses across the UK.
Frazer said that the government had invested nearly £2 billion in buses over the pandemic to ensure they stayed afloat.
Mike Penning, MP from Hemel Hempstead, stated that since COVID buses from his constituency have been severely cut. More people are working remotely and are being discouraged by commuting. He asked the Minister whether they would encourage people to go back to London.
“The government has broadly welcomed people back to work.”
“In our encouragement for the Civil Service and those here in government to come back to work is us leading by example”, she responded.
Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East noted that three bus routes had been completely cut in his constituency, which means “NHS workers can’t get to work and kids can’t go backwards and forwards from school”.
Frazer failed to answer Betts’ question directly and instead cited the fact that the “South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority received £1.6 million from LTA recovery funding”.
Mike Kane, shadow to Lucy Frazer, asked “Isn’t it the truth Mr Speaker, that under this government, bankers are being put before buses and services that millions rely on?”
