§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how he will determine whether Quality Contracts are necessary in a local authority area; [91405]
(2) how many Quality Contract pilot schemes he intends to approve, and when. [91323]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonQuality Contracts for buses require primary legislation. As we said in our consultation document "From Workhorse to Thoroughbred—A Better Role for Bus Travel", we expect to give a very limited number of approvals initially to allow the Quality Contract approach to be tested. The broad criteria were set out in that document.