Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to extend the provisions of the Bus Services Act 2017 in respect of franchising bus services to local transport authorities other than Combined Authorities.

The Bus Services Act 2017 provides mayoral combined authorities with automatic access to franchising powers.

Other local authorities may franchise bus services with the consent of the Secretary of State. Guidance on what the Secretary of State will consider in deciding whether to franchise is available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/831690/bus-services-act-2017-franchising-scheme-guidance.pdf

We have no plans to change these arrangements at present.