Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, House of Lords Official Report, 12 October 2016, column 1897, what the format is of the review the Government is undertaking of the bus service operators' grant system; and when the priorities and objectives for that funding will be set out.

Over the last few years the Government has been conducting a two stage review of the Bus Service Operators Grant system (BSOG), looking at whether changes to the system could be introduced to improve further its effectiveness in supporting bus services in England. As part of stage one of the review, several reforms to the system were introduced during 2013/14, including the devolution to Transport for London of funding for bus services in London. More recently, as part of stage two of the process, we have been reviewing how BSOG funding can best be used to support those bus services outside London which are not tendered by local authorities. We hope to be in a position to say more about the way forward in the near future.