Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to coordinate and rationalise the procurement of buses and trams by local authorities in order to ensure a steady and manageable flow of orders for manufacturing companies.

At the final meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel in March 2026, Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) agreed a set of commitments. These included applying a minimum 10% social value weighting in all future bus procurement exercises. This means that, when procuring buses, MCAs will consider the positive impact that a manufacturer has on society, the environment, and local communities as part of their decision-making process.

It was also agreed that the 10-year zero-emission bus order pipeline will be reviewed and updated regularly to provide a forward view of expected demand, helping UK bus manufacturers to plan effectively and compete for future orders.

We will continue to engage with and work alongside the industry to support a competitive UK bus manufacturing sector.

With regard to trams, light rail is devolved in England, where each local authority owns and is responsible for the design, operations and financial sustainability of its system, as well as for the specification and procurement of its fleet.