Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 22 January 2020.
Three things in response to Dai Rees's question. First of all, you're right: the Bill will achieve much in terms of giving local authorities a range of tools that they've been deprived of for several decades. But the Bill alone will not solve the problems that we face with bus services across Wales. The bus services support grant is vitally important. We've been able to maintain it through a sustained period of austerity at £25 million a year, but I need to make a very clear statement regarding the continuation of the BSSG. There will be an expectation that this money that the Welsh Government makes available to local authorities is in addition to, not in place of, local authorities' own funding. It's absolutely vital that local authorities, even during this period of austerity, are able to make contributions to local bus services. And the third point I would make, Llywydd, concerns the legislation being taken forward by the Minister for Housing and Local Government, and specifically the ability for local authorities to be able to plan transport interventions, specifically bus services, on a regional basis. The establishment of corporate joint committees will be invaluable in this regard.