Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to ensure that local councils who operate bus services will be eligible for additional grant funding without having to make continual applications.

The government has committed to reforming bus funding and moving away from competitive allocations processes. Every Local Transport Authority in England outside of London, will receive an allocation from the Local Authority Bus Grant without having to apply to the Department. Local leaders will decide how to use this funding to improve bus services and ensure services meet the needs of local communities. The allocation system used in 2025/26 marks the first step towards a reformed allocation process.