§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the present arrangements for ensuring adequate alternatives where rural bus services are withdrawn or severely curtailed; and, if not, what further steps he proposes.
§ Mr. HoramI am not at all satisfied with the position that people are left in when rural bus services are withdrawn or severely curtailed, and am pressing on with setting up the rural transport experiments to find how best to help people in these circumstances without further undermining the bus services which remain.
Meanwhile, some useful initiatives have already been taken to meet the need in particular areas, notably the Norfolk village bus. I am glad to hear that this undertaking, with a year of successful operation behind it, is breaking even, and that two other similar projects are now running.