Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on new funding for the (a) restoration of bus services removed due to changes in local authority funding and (b) other bus services in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) other coalfield towns.

On 30 September, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced ‘A Better Deal for Bus Users’ package, worth £220 million, to boost bus services.

As part of this package, the Government will pay an extra £30 million directly to local authorities in 2020/21 to enable them to improve current bus services or to restore lost services. Further details, including the funding allocations for each local authority, will be announced in due course.

Further details of the package can be found online with the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-better-deal-for-bus-users/a-better-deal-for-bus-users