Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential effect on the viability of community transport organisations of the requirement for them as section 19 permit operators not to charge anyone and to require all drivers to have a PSV O-licence.

Within the existing legal framework, the Department wants as many community transport providers as possible to continue to operate, and retain, service provision for vulnerable community transport passengers.

The Department will consult on this issue and set out the changes proposed to legislation as well as guidance on the use of section 19 permits. The consultation will contain an impact assessment and the effect of the changes to the regulatory regime which will form part of our considerations.