The Government are today publishing their response to the consultation on draft regulations to support the community transport provisions in the Local Transport Act 2008. Those provisions will allow greater flexibility over vehicle size, and over the payment of drivers of community buses, and also make provision for the future issue of time-limited community transport permits.

The Government consulted last year on these draft regulations, and intend to finalise them in time to bring them into force from 6 April 2009. The regulations would apply to England, Scotland and Wales.

Copies of the consultation report will be available on the Department for Transport’s website at: www.dft. gov.uk/localtransportact and are available in the Library of the House.