Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to make it a statutory duty for councils to include in any consideration of cuts to bus services an assessment of the environmental impact of withdrawing that bus service.

There are no plans to make it a statutory duty for councils to consider environmental impact of cutting services. However local authorities must apply to the Traffic Commissioner should they want to cut or change a bus service, whose priorities include environmental considerations.