Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the use of a cooperative model of ownership for bus services.

The bus market in England (outside London) is deregulated and operated by private sector bus operators. The deregulated bus market works well across much of the country and any operational decisions are a matter for individual operators, as is the ownership model they wish to consider.

However, the Bus Services Act 2017 presents local authorities with new powers to bring about change, and unlock the potential for the bus industry to achieve more for passengers. In particular, new enhanced partnership and advanced quality partnership powers provide the framework for authorities to work side by side with operators to set a shared vision for bus services in their area.