§ 8. Paddy Tipping (Sherwood):What representations he has received on the cancellation of bus services caused by the lack of availability of trained bus drivers. [138861]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Tony McNulty)We are aware from the Department's monitoring surveys and other sources that unavailability of drivers is a significant cause of bus service cancellations. The bus industry is taking a number of initiatives to tackle that problem, and we will continue to assist where possible. My hon. Friend will know that the difficulties are caused as much by retention as by recruitment.
§ Paddy TippingMay I draw the Minister's attention to the case of Nottingham City Transport, which has rightly been told by the traffic commissioner that the lack of drivers is not an excuse for the unavailability of services? In response, it has reduced and withdrawn 609 services, causing great inconvenience. Is not the solution very simple: that Nottingham City Transport needs to recruit, pay and train its drivers properly?
§ Mr. McNultyI am not aware of all the details regarding Nottingham City Transport, but I shall happily take the matter up with it and look at its solutions to the problem—as I shall, in the wider context, take matters further with the Bus Partnership Forum, which I chair. The Department will continue to work with TransFed, the industrial training body, and with GoSkills, the sector skills council's co-ordinating body that comes into operation next year. To underline my hon. Friend's remarks, the crucial fact is that buses get to communities—often deprived communities—and serve them far better than any other mode of transport can.
§ Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):The problem is symptomatic of a wider issue that was identified in a recent report by the Select Committee on Transport—namely, that the Office of Fair Trading is failing correctly to apply the Competition Act 1998 to bus companies and passenger transport executives. Will the Minister address that?
§ Mr. McNultyWhen we recently met representatives of the Office of Fair Trading to discuss its taxi report, we raised some issues about buses. If the hon. Lady feels that the OFT is not carrying out its duties in full, she should write to me and we will happily look into it.