Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has received representations from Hertfordshire County Council to request funding to (a) assess the viability of and (b) introduce bus franchising in Hertfordshire.

The government is determined to deliver better bus services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions. It has set out a plan to achieve this, based on giving local leaders the tools they need to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities they serve.

As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this session. This will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, ensuring networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill will increase powers available to local leaders to choose the model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, high-quality partnerships with private operators or local authority ownership.

The Department for Transport is engaging with all local transport authorities as part of this process, and we will continue to engage with them over the coming months as we deliver on our reforms.