Lilian Greenwood MP: speeches

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Speeches

26 Mar 2026 · Road Safety · Hansard source
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The road safety strategy envisages a safer future for everyone on the road, including targets to cut deaths and serious injuries by 65%, and 70% for children, by 2035. It promotes partnership working across Government, local authorities, police and emergency services, industry and others to save thousands of lives, ease pressure on the NHS and support the economy.
26 Mar 2026 · Road Safety · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for her important question. Planning has historically been a barrier to the development of lorry parks. We have introduced a dedicated freight policy in the national planning policy framework to ensure that planning properly reflects freight needs, including parking and access to the transport network. Alongside that, our new national lorry parking survey will be published in the autumn and will give local authorities the evidence needed to deliver good-quality facilities in the right places.
26 Mar 2026 · Road Safety · Hansard source
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I know that there have been multiple pedestrian casualties at the gyratory in my hon. Friend’s constituency, and action is needed to prevent future issues. Last week, I met TfL to hear about its new Vision Zero action plan, and partnership working with great local leaders, such as Mayor Khan, is vital to achieving our ambitious targets for reducing deaths and serious injuries. I was pleased to hear that TfL has introduced interim safety measures to slow traffic and improve visibility while longer-term redesign options are being developed. I know that TfL and Lambeth borough council are working closely together on a proper solution, but I would of course be happy to meet my hon. Friend.
26 Mar 2026 · Road Safety · Hansard source
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I thank the right hon. Member for raising this important case, and I send my condolences to the family in her constituency. Many people, including bereaved families, have raised with me how it feels when they see someone who has been arrested on drink or drug-driving charges being able to drive until their case comes to court. That is why suspension of licences is one of the issues covered in our motoring offences consultation. I hope that she, other Members and members of the public will respond positively to that proposal.
26 Mar 2026 · Bus Service Funding: Mayoral Strategic Authorities · Hansard source
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This Government believe in better buses across the UK, and half of the £1.4 billion local authority bus grant resource funding is going to support services in mayoral strategic authorities. Altogether, they will receive more than £11.5 billion of consolidated funding up to 2030 to improve and deliver better local transport services and modern infrastructure, and that includes £1.6 billion for Greater Manchester.
26 Mar 2026 · Bus Service Funding: Mayoral Strategic Authorities · Hansard source
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The hon. Lady is absolutely right. Rural communities also need access to good public transport, which is why we are exploring the ways in which we can better support rural bus services. As I mentioned earlier, there are five pilots looking at the possibilities of franchising in rural areas, which I know will be of interest to people, including Mayor Helen Godwin.
26 Mar 2026 · Bus Service Funding: Mayoral Strategic Authorities · Hansard source
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My hon. Friend is a great champion for local transport. This Government are committed to supporting improved bus services, and at the spending review we confirmed more than £3 billion in long-term funding until 2028-29. We believe that local leaders are best placed to make decisions about services in their areas, and this funding includes £133.5 million for Greater Manchester that the local authority can use to expand the Bee Network, as she suggests. Of course, we very regularly meet Mayor Andy Burnham to discuss that.
26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source
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The hon. Member raises an important point. We recognise that the increased costs for bus operators, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, can have an impact on services. My officials are in contact with operators to understand better the impact of increased fuel costs as a result of the crisis in the middle east. I am sure that the Minister responsible for roads and buses, my hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield and Rothwell (Simon Lightwood), will be considering that issue further and will be happy to hear from her.
26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source
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It is for local authorities, who have been given both the funding and the tools, to decide what works for their local area. Obviously they can have bus enhanced partnerships with local operators, but they can also consider franchising when they feel that that is necessary in order to provide the services that local people need. I know that Hertfordshire is one of the places that is piloting franchising appropriate for rural areas.
26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source
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Bus services are vital for connecting communities to jobs, education and essential services. We have confirmed over £3 billion for buses over the next three years, including providing multi-year, long-term funding to give local authorities the certainty to invest in local services, and our Bus Services Act 2025 is giving local leaders the tools to ensure that services meet the needs of local people.
26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source
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We in the Department work extremely closely with all our local mayors, including the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire. I know that my hon. Friend had a meeting with him only yesterday, and we would be happy to work with him to look at how we can better support bus services across that whole area.
26 Mar 2026 · Local Bus Services · Hansard source
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We are committed to working with local leaders, including Mayor Claire Ward, to improve buses. We are providing the East Midlands combined county authority with £65 million between now and 2028-29, which can be used to increase bus provision across the local area. I know that Mayor Claire would be very happy to work with my hon. Friend to help plan bus networks that work for local people, including those living in Beeston Rylands.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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The funding formula for local roads maintenance has not changed under this Government, and all local authorities, urban and rural, are receiving additional funding—an additional £500 million for local roads maintenance this year—as part of the largest uplift to the highways maintenance block in England’s history. Over the next four years, we are delivering a record £7.3 billion funding package, giving local authorities the long-term certainty they have asked for time and again. This is not a one-off: it is a sustained shift in how we fund roads, designed to empower councils to move from reactive repairs to genuinely strategic network management.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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Let me make a bit more progress and then I will, of course, come back to the hon. Member. We all recognise that rural Britain depends on reliable, safe and resilient roads. When those roads fall into poor condition or suffer flooding, the impacts on rural residents and businesses—often with limited alternative routes—can be significant. As numerous Members highlighted, potholes are costly and dangerous to drivers, bikers, cyclists and pedestrians.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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Of course I will.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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My hon. Friend is right to raise his concerns. It is of course the case that, where local authorities undertake repairs, we want them to be proper, permanent repairs that do not immediately deteriorate.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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Will the hon. Member give way?
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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I shall attempt to do that. It is a pleasure to serve, with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I congratulate the hon. Member for South Shropshire (Stuart Anderson) on securing today’s debate on the condition of roads in rural areas. First, let me respond to some of the hon. Member’s points. He suggested that his local authority, Shropshire council, has seen its funding for local roads maintenance cut. It has not. In 2024-25, Shropshire received £23.2 million. For 2025-26, the figure is £33.7 million—more money to fix more roads and to undertake preventive maintenance. The hon. Member suggested that Shropshire council does not have certainty of future funding. It does. For the first time, councils have multi-year funding for local roads maintenance. We have given them four years of funding, specifically to allow them to plan ahead. The hon. Member also suggested that Shropshire will not receive its incentive funding. There is no reason to believe that is the case. Last year, only one local highway authority out of 154 did not receive its incentive payments. If an authority does what we have asked of it, there is no danger of it not receiving that incentive payment.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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I will not just now. I am going to make some progress. There is no question but that severe and persistent bad weather has taken a real toll on highways in all parts of the country. The very wet start to 2026 has made repairs more difficult and maintenance windows shorter. Local authorities in many areas have been working around the clock to make emergency repairs and keep local people safe. But weather alone does not explain the scale of the problem. We must also be clear about the historical underfunding of our local roads networks. The Conservative spokesperson, the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith), talked about neglect, and he is right to do so, because that is precisely what happened under the previous Government. Years and years of short-term funding settlements have made it difficult for councils to plan ahead, invest in preventive maintenance or build resilience into their networks.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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Not right now. The Transport Committee in the previous Parliament specifically asked for that change. We are also making sure that taxpayers know how money is being used. Every local highway authority is now required to publish clear, accessible information on the condition of its roads, its maintenance plans and how it is investing the uplift it has received. That goes precisely to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Luton South and South Bedfordshire (Rachel Hopkins) on accountability. The transparency reports help residents to understand what is being delivered, and ensure that authorities remain accountable for the outcomes they achieve. The reports are a tool for public confidence and a driver of improvement, and there are already encouraging signs. Last year, for the first time since 2017, the proportion of local roads receiving maintenance treatment increased. Alongside better reporting, we are updating the well-managed highway infrastructure code of practice, which is the cornerstone guidance for risk-based asset management. We want to ensure that it reflects new technologies, climate adaptation needs and modern expectations of highway resilience. The UK Roads Leadership Group and industry experts are leading the comprehensive refresh. We are working with AtkinsRéalis, which has 20 representatives in the World Road Association, so I hope we are learning from the international best practice raised by the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage (Olly Glover). We expect the new guidance to be issued later this year. The focus on improving guidance goes hand in hand with strengthening the capability of the sector. Last summer, we provided funding for the UK Roads Leadership Group to deliver a programme of climate resilience workshops for local highways authorities. The sessions brought together practitioners and experts to strengthen emergency response and to improve preparedness for the increasingly severe weather and climate-driven hazards we face, supporting our wider climate adaptation strategy for transport, which was published in December. As we improve resilience, we are also helping councils to adopt new and innovative approaches to managing their networks. Rural authorities are directly benefiting from the Government’s £30 million Live Labs 2 programme, which tests new ways to decarbonise local highways. Maintenance projects include a Devon county council scheme that is using the A382 upgrade to trial new materials, digital technology and working practices to cut emissions across construction and operations. In the East Riding of Yorkshire, I have seen for myself how teams are exploring low-carbon street-lighting alternatives such as solar-powered studs and highly reflective markings, to reduce reliance on traditional lighting on rural routes. Similarly, I have seen local authorities across the country using new machinery and new technology to improve the quality of their road repairs. In West Sussex and South Gloucestershire, the Greenprint project is developing and testing sustainable construction materials with direct application to mixed rural networks. To conclude, this Government will continue to stand behind rural communities and the councils that serve them. We will continue to invest at record levels and to support local authorities to improve and maintain their roads, so that every rural resident, no matter where they live, benefits from a network that is safer, stronger and built for the future.
17 Mar 2026 · Rural Roads · Hansard source
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Not right now. Rural residents are all too familiar with the reality, which is why this Government have taken decisive action. We are providing record funding for local highways maintenance, supporting councils not only to repair damage caused by recent winters but to break the cycle of deterioration that has built up over more than a decade.
12 Feb 2026 · Rural Transport Connections · Hansard source
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I thank the hon. Lady for her thoughtful question. As I have already acknowledged, under the previous Government, millions of bus miles were lost, particularly in rural areas. However, the Bus Services Act puts power back with local leaders, and enables franchising and enhanced partnerships of municipal operators to improve services. I am sure that the Minister for buses, my hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield and Rothwell (Simon Lightwood), will be happy to talk to her about her proposals.
12 Feb 2026 · Rural Transport Connections · Hansard source
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In rural communities, good public transport options can make the difference to being able to access work, education and opportunities. The Bus Services Act 2025 gives local leaders real control, so that they can plan routes and timetables that work for villages and more remote areas, not just commercially viable corridors. From this year, smaller towns and rural areas will receive £2.3 billion through the local transport grant. That will give councils the certainty and flexibility to invest in better rural buses, safer roads and improved local links as they plan for the future.
12 Feb 2026 · Rural Transport Connections · Hansard source
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I thank my hon. Friend for his important question. There is no doubt that we need to ensure that transport systems work better together. I am sure he will be very interested in our forthcoming integrated national transport strategy, and he does not have too long to wait.
12 Feb 2026 · Support for Road Users · Hansard source
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I am sorry to hear about that incident. I share my hon. Friend’s relief that no one was injured. As he knows, improvements to junctions across the A50 corridor in Staffordshire are being considered as part of the pipeline of potential future major enhancements to the strategic road network. He is undoubtedly the A50’s greatest champion, and he will not have long to wait for news, as we will say more when RIS3 is published next month.

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