This week the Transport Select Committee's inquiry into the health of the bus market continued with members questioning representatives from the Local Government Association, FirstGroup, Blackpool Transport and the TAS Partnership on funding for bus services.

Huw asked what local authorities could do to protect or provide socially necessary services in cases where doctor’s surgeries were for instance moved to areas with little or no bus services. The panel explored the possibility of cross-subsidization, arguing that such considerations should be taken into account by the NHS when budgeting for services so patients can access the medical services they need while also providing more funding opportunities for the NHS itself. 

Huw also asked whether the government should pursue a national bus strategy and what it would look like with regards to the funding of socially necessary services. The panel agreed that such a strategy would raise the profile for bus services as well as providing an overarching picture for government departments to consider when making transport or planning decisions. 

Watch here: https://goo.gl/1rdyFe