The bus market in England outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding service provision are primarily a matter for bus operators, although local authorities do support socially necessary routes that are not commercially viable.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Bus Services Act 2017 provides the tools local authorities need to improve local bus services. We are working with local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-14T17:10:57.06Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Transport: Hospitals"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether public transport providers are taking steps to ensure that patients and staff can get to NHS hospital sites in England as safely, conveniently and economically as possible.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"} ], "uin" : "131118"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/852652", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/852652/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Bus Services Act 2017 will enable local authorities to take steps to improve service and grow passenger numbers. This could include introducing multi operator tickets, improved vehicle standards and better connections between transport modes, employment and housing. In terms of access to hospitals via public transport, the most recent statistics show that around 94% of the population of England can reach a large hospital within an hour by public transport or walking in urban areas. In rural areas this falls to around 59% of the population.<\/p>
<\/p>
More generally, the Government is committed to making the transport system accessible to all users irrespective of the reason for or destination of the journey. The draft Accessibility Action Plan, published for consultation last year, set out a number of steps we will be taking across transport modes.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-09T08:48:51.063Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Transport: Hospitals"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the accessibility by public transport of hospitals outside London.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"} ], "uin" : "130648"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/852653", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/852653/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Bus Services Act 2017 will enable local authorities to take steps to improve service and grow passenger numbers. This could include introducing multi operator tickets, improved vehicle standards and better connections between transport modes, employment and housing. In terms of access to hospitals via public transport, the most recent statistics show that around 94% of the population of England can reach a large hospital within an hour by public transport or walking in urban areas. In rural areas this falls to around 59% of the population.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> More generally the Government is committed to making the transport system, in urban and rural areas, accessible to all users irrespective of the reason for or destination of the journey. The draft Accessibility Action Plan, published for consultation last year, set out a number of steps we will be taking across transport modes.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4460", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wealden"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Ms Nusrat Ghani"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-09T08:55:03.893Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Transport: Hospitals"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the accessibility by public transport of hospitals in rural areas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"}
], "uin" : "130649"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/795305", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/795305/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Numbers of fatal accidents on the M11 motorway for each year since 2010 are as follows:<\/p> <\/p> 2010 \u2013 3<\/p> 2011 \u2013 1<\/p> 2012 \u2013 1<\/p> 2013 \u2013 1<\/p> 2014 \u2013 2<\/p> 2015 \u2013 5<\/p> 2016 \u2013 1<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-30T14:09:08.447Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "M11: Accidents"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fatal accidents occurred on the M11 motorway in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"}
], "uin" : "115726"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/795306", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/795306/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Number of fatal accidents on the M11 motorway for each year since 2010 in the Harlow constituency is as follows:<\/p> 2010 \u2013 1<\/p> 2011 \u2013 0<\/p> 2012 \u2013 0<\/p> 2013 \u2013 0<\/p> 2014 \u2013 0<\/p> 2015 \u2013 0<\/p> 2016 \u2013 1<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-12-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-12-04T11:44:36.097Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "M11: Accidents"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fatal accidents occurred on the M11 motorway section in the Harlow constituency in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"}
], "uin" : "115727"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/76258", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/76258/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/strong><\/p> The Government takes the environmental implications of exploiting high carbon intensity crudes very seriously and fully supports the aim of the Fuel Quality Directive to reduce carbon emissions. We also believe that the accounting methodology must be proportionate in the burden placed on suppliers. The European Commission's proposals for a greenhouse gas intensity accounting methodology to implement Article 7a failed to receive agreement in 2012, and we await the publication of a revised proposal and impact assessment.<\/p> <\/p> The Department consulted on measures to implement Article 7(a \u2013e) of the Directive between March and June 2011. The core costs envisaged in the impact assessment relate to putting in place a 6% greenhouse gas emissions savings target to 2020, the supply of biofuels and other compliance measures required to achieve these reductions. The costs of delivering such measures are subject to a very high degree of uncertainty given that EU negotiations on key elements for implementing the Directive have not yet concluded. Based on a range of provisional assumptions, it was estimated that, relative to the cost of policy currently in place, the impact in 2020 would be an increase of 0.5 pence per litre on petrol and 2.5 pence per litre on road diesel. A full analysis is presented in the impact assessment published on 10 March 2011 which can be found at:<\/p> £m<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 12.626<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 15.782<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 16.682<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 22.428<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 20.706<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 21.361<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 20.959<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 20.728<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 19.838<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 22.482*<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 19.873*<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> * includes the top up announced in the 2012 Autumn Statement.<\/p> The Department also allocated additional funding to authorities to help repair roads damaged by various weather events and this included a further £2.116 million to Essex County Council in 2010/11 and £5.301 million in March 2011. More recently the Department for Transport has agreed to allocate over £2.7 million due to the severe wet weather the country has encountered.<\/p> <\/p> A £200 million Pothole Fund was announced in the Budget on 19 March 2014. From this, £168 million is being made available to councils in England through a bidding exercise. Further details on the fund will be made available in the coming weeks.<\/p> The Department for Transport does not centrally hold information on what proportion of this funding is spent by Essex County Council on repairing potholes.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-04-01T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much money has been spent on repairing potholes in (a) Harlow and (b) Essex since 2004.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"}
], "uin" : "193871"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44828", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44828/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> The Government firmly believes in localism and providing local authorities with powers to introduce measures to deal with local needs and conditions. Local authorities will invariably have a strategy to improve road safety and will prioritise their road network based on the need to reduce casualties. <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The provision of the school crossing patrol service is a matter for the local authority. Legislation gives them the power to make arrangements for the patrolling of places where children cross roads on their way to or from school, but does not impose a duty on them to do so. Funding decisions are also a matter for the local authority based on their local needs and priorities.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> It is for the Council to assess the crossing situation and determine a course of action as it is in this situation. In some cases, if the authority agrees that children from a particular school need help in crossing a busy road but have not recruited anyone, they have to think about finding other ways of making the crossing safer - for example, by putting in a pedestrian crossing.<\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-27T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the benefits to children's safety of road crossing patrollers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"}
], "uin" : "193298"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44833", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44833/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> The Department does not hold records of the amount spent on school crossing patrol services in each local authority.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-27T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent on road crossing patrollers in (a) Essex and (b) Harlow constituency in the last 10 years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3985", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robert Halfon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harlow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Robert Halfon"}
], "uin" : "193303"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44458", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/44458/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> Estimates of road congestion levels for Parliamentary constituencies are not held centrally.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> We do however hold data at the local authority level. Road congestion is measured in the Department by morning peak speeds, defined as 7am to 10am. In 2013, the average weekday morning peak speed, on locally managed \u2018A' roads in Essex (local authority), which contains Harlow constituency, was estimated to be 30.5 miles per hour.The equivalent figure for the whole of England in 2013 was 24.7 miles per hour.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Equivalent figures for earlier years back to 2007, and all other local highway authorities in England, can be found on the Department for Transport's website at:<\/p> <\/p>Year<\/strong><\/td> 2004/05<\/td> 2005/06<\/td> 2006/07<\/td> 2007/08<\/td> 2008/09<\/td> 2009/10<\/td> 2010/11<\/td> 2011/12<\/td> 2012/13<\/td> 2013/14<\/td> 2014/15<\/td>
Local authorities are also able to use revenue funding allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the Revenue Support Grant for maintaining their local highways. Neither capital nor revenue highways maintenance funding is ring-fenced and it is for local highway authorities to decide upon their spending priorities across the whole range of services they provide.<\/p>