Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to grant carers free travel on public transport.

We recognise that some disabled people need support to travel, and that companion passes for carers can play an important role in helping people access public transport with confidence. Under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), disabled passholders are entitled to free local bus travel. Companion passes are an additional discretionary concession offered by some local transport authorities. Decisions about whether to provide a companion pass, and the conditions attached to it, are made locally.

We will continue to work with local authorities, and encourage them to consider how best to support disabled residents through any discretionary concessions they provide, including through funding provided, such as the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG), which can be used to support local transport priorities, including discretionary concessionary travel schemes. West Sussex County Council will be allocated £28.7 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29.