Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department provides to support community transport operators in West Dorset in delivering concessionary bus travel.

This Government is investing in bus services long-term and has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers over the remainder of the Spending Review period.

This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year. Dorset Council will be allocated £12.2 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in addition to the £3.8 million they received in 2025/26.

Local authorities have discretion over how they use LABG funding to improve services and deliver better services for passengers, which could include support for community transport services and discretionary concessionary travel arrangements where local authorities consider these appropriate.