Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering free bus travel for homeless (a) children and (b) adults living in temporary accommodation.

Local authorities have responsibility for support for homeless people in their areas and are best placed to assess the needs of their communities.

At the Budget, the government confirmed over £1 billion in funding to improve services, protect vital routes and keep fares down. On 17 November, we confirmed how we are distributing £955 million of that funding, with £712 million for local councils to deliver bus service improvement plans (BSIP) and through the Bus Service Operators Grant. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver BSIPs can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for all passengers, including introducing targeted local fares initiatives.