Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative assessment of the cost (a) to consumers and (b) of the provision of bus services in (i) London and (ii) Newcastle.

Bus fares and services in London are the responsibility of Transport for London. Outside London, bus fares and services are deregulated and set by bus operators. We have no plans to carry out a comparative assessment of the cost to consumers and the cost of provision of bus services.