I thank David Rowlands for his contributions and for his questions. I am pleased that UKIP support the free bus passes for older people. I regret that they do not support free prescriptions for all. Removing free prescriptions, I believe, would constitute a tax on illness, but far be it for me to answer on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary for health.

In terms of the last point that was made by the Member, he may recall that back in January I launched a five-point business plan, and that was in response to the failure of a number of bus companies in Wales, including probably the most prominent, GHA coaches. Part of the five-point plan saw Business Wales assist local bus operators in identifying more sustainable business models, and part of that work, in turn, has identified the need to be more intelligent in the deployment of vehicles. It’s not just David Rowlands. Lee Waters has also raised with me on numerous occasions the need for bus operators to deploy smaller vehicles, where it is known that a route will only require a small vehicle. It’s not good for the environment, it’s not good for the sustainability of bus companies, to be operating vehicles that are expensive and will never reach capacity in terms of passengers on them. I wish to see that work continue by Business Wales, and I wish to see more local bus companies assisted by expert advisers.

I think, in terms of the availability of services, the Member raises a very interesting point, that in the future we are going to see quite radical change in the way that the public are mobile. With the arrival of Uber and other operators, we will probably see an increasing number of operators offering a form of public transport that traditionally would have been delivered by small bus companies, but which could be delivered by connected vehicles, and so it’s entirely possible that we’ll see taxis operating more as small buses. That, then, presents a challenge to the existing bus operators, but it’s something that I’m keen for my officials to work through and to explore the future potential of. I do think that we need to look at how we can ensure that there are services available to all people who may be in receipt of these passes, and for that reason, I’ve incorporated into the consultation a question about whether we extend the companion pass to two people. It currently applies to just one person helping disabled people, but I think that we need to ask the question of whether there are two companions needed.