§ Sir Fergus MontgomeryTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has concerning the 741W number of buses operating in Greater Manchester (a) before deregulation and (b) after deregulation of the service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. David MitchellDetailed information on the number of buses operating in Greater Manchester is not available although it is known that there has been a substantial increase. Bus mileage has gone up from 64.7 million miles before deregulation to 83.9 million miles in November 1987 (an increase of nearly 30 per cent.). Most of this is accounted for by new minibus services introduced in the competitive market created by deregulation.