Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria local authorities will be expected to meet in order to implement bus franchising in their areas; and whether their performance against the criteria will be subject to independent assessment.

Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport: The Buses Bill will introduce new powers for local authorities to franchise their local bus services. The Bill is still being drafted and it is therefore too early to confirm the detail of the process that may be proposed through the Bill.