§ 14. Mr. Wakehamasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the Chairman of the Naional Bus Company.
§ Mr. William RodgersIt depends when either of us has matters that we wish to discuss together.
§ Mr. WakehamWhen the right hon. Gentleman next meets the chairman, will he discuss the representations that the 448 chairman may make to the traffic commissioners, who deal with applications by local authorities and private operators to run bus services in rural areas, in order to make sure that his representations are as helpful as they can be?
§ Mr. RodgersI know that there is a problem, particularly in the hon. Gentleman's constituency, and I am sure that the chairman's concern is that we should have effective public transport services throughout the country, particularly in some of our rural areas and small towns.
§ Mr. CorbettIf my right hon. Friend wants a subject to discuss with the chairman, will he look at the crazy way in which the London Country Bus Service Ltd has to go to nine or 10 shire counties and the GLC to work out the money which they should pay for sensible bus services in their areas? Has not London Country got a hopeless job when it does not know from one year to the next what level of support it will get from the authorities?
§ Mr. RodgersMy hon. Friend is right. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary said earlier, London Country has some special problems, partly because of the nature of the route network, but many bus operators have found themselves in difficulties because councils have not made available to them sums of money in subsidies, some of which had already been promised.