§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of deregulation on securing a comprehensive network of public bus services. [1730]
§ Ms KeebleThe historical impacts of bus deregulation in 1986 were studied closely in the policy review which preceded the 1998 Transport White Paper. In the decade after 1986, operated bus mileage outside London increased overall by 25 per cent. The position necessarily varies from place to place. It is primarily for local authorities, in developing their bus strategies within local transport plans, to assess the adequacy of the bus network and to take appropriate action within the framework of their new powers in the Transport Act 2000. We are making additional funding available through the rural bus grant and the rural and urban bus challenge schemes.