BUS SERVICES: WEST SUSSEX
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local bus services in West Sussex are not reduced. [164343]
Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport: Decisions about the provision of local bus services are a matter for bus operators and local authorities who are best placed to identify the transport needs in their area.
Nevertheless, as I know well from my own constituency, buses are a lifeline for many people in rural areas - providing access to jobs, schools, health care and social activities.
On 5 July, Official Report, columns 74-76WS, I announced the arrangements for reforming the existing system of local bus subsidy in England.
Under the new arrangements we will be devolving around half of the BSOG budget to local authorities in order to give them more say over how this funding should be spent to benefit passengers in their area. Devolution in London will start in October this year, with that outside London following in January 2014.
The Government also announced in last month's Spending Review that we would be protecting existing spending on buses for 2015/16.
We continue to invest in local bus infrastructure and technology through the Better Bus Area Fund and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. And we have also recognised the importance of community transport organisations in local areas with £20 million of additional funding - around £175,000 of which went to West Sussex County Council.