Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to allocate additional funding to support rural bus franchising pilots in North Yorkshire; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) the Yorkshire Dales and (b) other areas receive equitable levels of funding compared to urban regions.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed continued funding of around £900 million per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots in York and North Yorkshire. Allocations for individual LTAs for 26/27 onwards will be confirmed in due course.

The government has committed to reforming bus funding. Giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding will allow them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The formula used in 25/26 is an interim process and is only the first step towards a reformed allocation system. By adopting a fairer method of allocating the bus grant going forward, we expect the current disparities to level out, putting all LTAs on a more equal footing. We ultimately want to create a fairer and simpler system for bus funding that takes into account local needs.