Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of franchising bus services for communities in the North East.

The Government will support any Local Transport Authority (LTA) wishing to franchise their bus services, including those in the North East. The Transport Act 2000 provides automatic access to franchising powers for Mayoral Combined Authorities in England. Other authorities can request those powers but need to demonstrate that franchising is the best option to deliver improvements for passengers. It is for an LTA to conduct an assessment of any proposed franchising scheme for their area.