Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of local bus services in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East, and (d) the UK since 2010.

The bus market in England outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding service provision are primarily a matter for bus operators, although local authorities do support socially necessary routes that are not commercially viable.

The Bus Services Act 2017 provides the tools local authorities need to improve local bus services. We are working with local authorities to determine which of the powers provided are best able to support bus networks in their areas.