In a statement in October, you told the Assembly that you were

‘surprised and saddened by the recent and sudden demise of three local bus companies’, including GHA Coaches, providing services on school bus routes across north-east Wales as well as Cheshire and Shropshire. However, you were written to on your appointment in May—seven weeks before GHA Coaches shut—by a range of companies and organisations stating that they would be unable to sustain their services if grants continued to be received late, and that they were in danger of closing down because of the cash-flow problems that this was causing—of course, referring to the bus services support grant, which is also funding community transport schemes. The problem in Flintshire has been compounded by the council’s unique proposal to transfer bus services to the community, despite the excellent community transport providers there stating that they’re not bus companies and they’re not interested in providing community bus work. How, therefore, will you address these issues, not only because of the imminent and current problems, but the bigger problems coming down the road that will impact on community and wider community bus route users in terms of the continuity and advance payment of the bus services support grant, noting that we can’t wait for another review in the new year, this money needs to be in their bank accounts before the start of the next financial year?