Tag: transport

Bishop of St Albans leads debate on impact for rural communities of reduced bus services

On 24th November 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, led a short debate in the House of Lords on rural bus services. His opening speech is below, along with the Minister’s response. The speeches of the other eight Peers who took part can be read here.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of research published by the Local Government Association showing that subsidised bus services in England have reduced by more than 12% in the past year, what assessment they have made of the sustainability of rural communities.

St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank all noble Lords contributing their considerable expertise to this debate, particularly the noble Lord, Lord Kirkhope, whose wealth of experience is a welcome addition to this House. I declare an interest as president of the Rural Coalition and bishop of a diocese with large rural areas, some of which have seen considerable cuts in bus service provision in recent years.

As many noble Lords in this House will know first-hand, rural bus services provide a lifeline for rural communities, creating vital routes of connection to other parts of the country. For anyone who struggles to drive themselves because of age or a disability, or because they do not have a car, buses are often the only means of transport that connects rural residents with work, friends and family. With an increasing number of local services cut from rural towns and larger villages, the need to be able to connect with urban areas only increases. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads debate on impact for rural communities of reduced bus services”

Votes: Bus Services Bill

On 24th October 2016 the House of Lords debated the Government’s Bus Services Bill at its Report Stage. The Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Mike Hill, took part in a vote on an amendment to the Bill tabled by Labour Peer Lord Kennedy of Southwark to remove Clause 21 , which sought to prohibit local authorities from forming companies to provide local bus services. Continue reading “Votes: Bus Services Bill”

Bishop of Bristol asks Government about regulation of the drone market in the UK

Bristol160226 cOn 27th April 2016 the Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Michael Hill, received a written answer to a question on whether the Government will regulate the private drone market in the UK.

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the need to regulate or license the private drone market in the UK. [HL7729] Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks Government about regulation of the drone market in the UK”

Bishop of Coventry questions the Government about the HS2 Bill

Bp Coventry May 2015

On the 14 April 2016 the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth spoke during the second reading debate on the HS2 Bill. The Bishop spoke about the impact the line would have on his diocese, the local communities, environment and business. Lord Ahmad responded for the government and addressed some of the questions asked by the Bishop Christopher.

Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry questions the Government about the HS2 Bill”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about support for rural transport

On 22nd March 2016 Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the levels of service provision and council tax following local authority budget decisions for 2016–17.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow up question about rural bus services.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, recently the Campaign for Better Transport has estimated that local authority subsidies for rural bus services are likely to be cut this year alone by £27 million. In Hertfordshire, where I live and work, there have been cuts since 2010 of 62%. Forty rural bus services have seen radical declines and 14 have gone altogether. While I recognise some of the things the Government are doing, not least the serious increase in the rural services delivery grant, will the Minister tell your Lordships’ House the long-term plans of Her Majesty’s Government to engage with local authorities to ensure that we have proper rural transport as one of the essential elements of rural sustainability? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about support for rural transport”

Bishop of Bristol asks about case for airport expansion

On 14th December a statement from the Secretary of State for Transport on Airport Expansion was repeated in the House of Lords. The Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Mike Hill, asked a follow-up question.

Bishop of Bristol June 2015The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, can the Minister comment on the remarks made by the chief executive officer of International Airlines Group, who said that as far as the airlines are concerned there is basically no business case at all for the extension of Gatwick? Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks about case for airport expansion”

“Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” – Bishop of Chester asks pointed questions about HS2

On 16th September 2015 the Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, spoke in a debate on the HS2 project. The Bishop questioned the business case and the impact assessment, particularly for the area covered by Chester Diocese.

14.03 Bishop of ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, HS2 will pass through my diocese from south of Crewe until it reaches Manchester Airport. I read the committee’s report with great interest and was struck, above all, by the levels of uncertainty which evidently still exist around the project.

Continue reading ““Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” – Bishop of Chester asks pointed questions about HS2”

Bishop of St Albans asks about potential benefits of reopening rural rail lines

Bishop St Albans June 2015On Thursday 2nd July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question to Government about reopening rural rail lines.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence recently published in the Campaign to Protect Rural England report Rural Reconnections: The social benefits of rail reopening.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about potential benefits of reopening rural rail lines”

Bishop of Derby asks Government about transport infrastructure and investment in the East Midlands

On Wednesday 17th June 2015 the House of Lords debated a Government motion in the name of Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon “that this House takes note of transport connectivity and infrastructure in the north of England.” The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, spoke in the debate, highlighting transport, infrastructure and investment questions for the east Midlands and Derby diocesan area.

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I, too, thank the Minister for his clear, optimistic and encouraging introduction, and associate myself with the noble Lord, Lord Prescott, and his desire for this to proceed quickly and effectively. I declare an interest in that I come from Derby in the east Midlands, so I feel a bit like an interloper in this debate about the north—although part of our diocese is the Peak District, which may just qualify as the north. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks Government about transport infrastructure and investment in the East Midlands”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about air pollution and asthma

On 6th January 2015 Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘what plans the National Health Service has to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by the combined impact of nitrogen dioxide and fine particles emitted by diesel engines’. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, with 4.3 million adults and 1.1 million children suffering from the effects of asthma-related conditions, does the Minister agree that we need to look closely at the World Health Organization’s recent news that an increasing number of British cities are now breaching the safe air pollution levels? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about air pollution and asthma”