Petitions
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Observations
Transport
Bus Services for Beacon Heights (Walsall)
The Petition of a resident of Beacon Heights Park Homes Park,
Declares that following the removal of the 934 and 936 bus services from Beacon Road, Walsall after 7 pm and on Sundays many elderly people who do not drive cannot access public transport at those times and further that the Petitioner calls for a bus service or minibus to be introduced to replace the 934 and 936 bus service.
The Petitioner therefore requests that the House of Commons urges the Government to take all possible steps to encourage Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council to consider the objections of the local residents.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Valerie Vaz, Official Report, 2 July 2014; Vol. 583, c. 1046.]
[P001363]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Transport:
I recognise the importance of public transport for both the sustainability and independence of communities, and its valuable role in preventing isolation.
There are no statutory requirements on bus operators to carry out consultation, as such, when making changes to services. However, I strongly encourage bus operators and local authorities to work together, in consultation with local communities, to decide how best to provide access to services for residents. In that regard, I fully support the consultation toolkit that was published in 2012 by Passenger Focus, the independent champion for bus, coach, rail and tram passengers.
Where commercial bus services are not being run, local authorities do have powers to subsidise socially necessary services and I am pleased to be able to say that the funding which the Government provide to support buses, known as Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG), will be protected for 2015-16, as confirmed in the recent Spending Review.
Moreover, since January 2014, those BSOG payments which were previously paid to the bus companies for running tendered services to local authorities will instead go to the local authorities who tender the services. This funding is being ring-fenced until 2016-17 to ensure that it is still used to support bus services.
Treasury
Proposed Closure of Barclays Branches in Suffolk Coastal
The Petition of residents of Suffolk Coastal and the wider Suffolk area,
Declares that Barclays Bank has stated that it is likely to close a significant amount of its branches; further that the Petitioners believe that rural areas like Suffolk are likely to be more at risk of branch closures; further that the Martlesham Heath Barclays branch was closed last year; further that the Petitioners believe that the Halesworth, Southwold, Saxmundham, Leiston, Aldeburgh, Woodbridge and Felixstowe branches could be under threat; and further that in Aldeburgh and Leiston the Barclays branches are the last banks left on the high street.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to encourage Barclays to keep open their remaining branches in Suffolk Coastal.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Dr Thérèse Coffey, Official Report, 22 July 2014; Vol. 584, c. 11P.]
[P001383]
Observations from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Treasury:
The Government thank Therese Coffey MP for her petition on the potential closure of Barclays branches in Suffolk Coastal and the wider Suffolk area.
The Government are sorry to hear about the disappointment of the residents of Suffolk Coastal at the closure of the Martlesham Heath Barclays branch last year and worries that further branch closures may follow. Although we can understand their concerns, decisions on opening and closing agencies are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis. As with other banking service providers, Barclays will need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering its strategy and the Government do not seek to intervene in these decisions.
It may be useful to note that many bank account providers already have an arrangement with the Post Office to provide access to their bank accounts, where customers can withdraw money, deposit cash and cheques and check balances at all 11,500 Post Office branches in the UK.