Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on allocations for the Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The government has allocated £670 million in Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding in the financial year 2025 to 2026. BSIP funding is allocated directly to local transport authorities in England.

On 18 December 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an additional £515 million in support for local authorities (including combined authorities) in England to mitigate the additional impact of the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions on their budgets, including their transport budgets. More information can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.