Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will increase funding for bus services in rural areas.

The 2021 National Bus Strategy makes clear that the Government takes the needs of rural transport users just as seriously as the needs of those in urban areas. The Department regularly engages with rural local authorities, including on the Rural Mobility Fund, and will involve them in the planned reforms to the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG).

The Government provides around £250 million every year through the BSOG to help bus operators keep fares down and maintain a larger network than would otherwise be possible, as well as to help local authorities subsidise socially necessary bus services.

The Department has also sought to help increase patronage on buses, including in rural areas, by providing up to £135 million to help operators cap single fares at £2 on over 4,700 routes in England outside London. The cap launched on 1 January and is set to run until 30 June 2023.

We are also providing up to £80 million in additional funding to extend the Bus Recovery Grant until 30 June which takes total funding to over £2 billion since March 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the bus sector and support local bus services, including those in rural areas. The Department is actively working on plans for June onwards and will make further announcements on this in due course. The needs of rural authorities have been given particular consideration as part of this ongoing work.