Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made recent progress on monitoring the steps taken by local transport authorities to implement the new statutory guidance on enhanced partnerships for bus services, published on 1 April 2026.

The Department is monitoring the implementation of the new statutory guidance on Enhanced Partnership closely.

The Departments working with the Bus Centre of Excellence to engage with, and support local transport authorities and bus operators in meeting the new requirements. Local transport authorities are expected to adopt the new minimum standards set out in the guidance by March 2027. The Department is continuing to engage with authorities and operators through the Bus Centre of Excellence to support implementation and share good practice across the sector.

The Department will publish a new Enhanced Partnership Manual, later this year, to support authorities with the implementation of the guidance.