§ Mr. PollardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of recruitment difficulties on bus operators in the south east of England. [146097]
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§ Mr. HillMy Department is aware of the difficulties being experienced by bus operators in recruiting and retaining bus drivers in some areas, including the south-east of England. We have been in regular contact with the bus industry to consider the extent of this problem. We are also undertaking research on the extent and impact of staff shortages in the industry and the industry's response.
The responsibility for ensuring that they have sufficient drivers is primarily a matter for individual bus companies, and I am aware that operators have been taking steps to address the problem. In addition my Department and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and Driving Standards Agency (DSA) have been pursuing with the industry what steps can be taken to assist with the current problems. For example, a pilot procedure has recently been introduced by DVLA with one nominated operator on a trial basis, with the aim of providing a high speed response to bus driver licence applications.