Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the length of funding application windows for Bus companies; and what assessment he has made of the impact of that length on the ability of bus companies to carry out full and proper consultations with residents about the viability of bus routes.

We regularly discuss bus funding with HMT and factor in the deadlines set by the Office of Traffic Commissioner for service registration when making decisions relating to funding for bus services. The statutory service registration period is set to ensure that proper consultation on bus routes is able to take place with residents and local authorities. The Department also engages with key industry representatives in the bus sector regularly to ensure their views are taken into consideration when taking bus funding decisions.