5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport: Funding for Buses

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:20 pm on 20 October 2020.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 4:20, 20 October 2020

Well, briefly, these are the discussions we're having with the industry now. I think, from the tone of the statement this afternoon, we are sending a strong signal to them that it's no longer good enough simply to be asking for more money and, every time we ask for something in return, to tell us to jump in a lake, which has been a little bit of the conversations we had with some of the operators. That's a relationship that has changed and needs to continue changing. We expect our objectives to be delivered for the resources that we put in. There still remain legislative complications, because these still are, by law, commercial and market-driven issues, and, while that remains on the statute book, it does constrain our ability to deliver everything we want to deliver. But we're determined to use the leverage we do have to get the maximum return for the objectives that we share.