Local Transport Bill [HL]

I always listen very carefully to my noble friend because what he says is grounded in the realities and practicalities of the way in which services—in this instance, buses—operate. I take the point. This example operates outside the framework that we are proposing in legislation. The point on bendy buses is good. I agree that they are a good vehicle on the right route. They have proved to be surprisingly popular in some areas for the very reasons that my noble friend raised. Similarly, I understand the pain that can occur when you have to dispose of an asset. I have been in a local authority and I have had to dispose of assets. We caused problems and we rubbed up against other interests. However, the proportionality test would bear very heavily on the decision-makers involved in quality contracts. Those very considerations are precisely why that proportionality test is there and why it has value. I understand and accept that that is not a complete answer to my noble friend’s point. I know that there is a sharp division of opinion about whether we should build forms of compensation into this. I do not think that we can go down that route, but I think that the proportionality test probably offers what the noble Lord is seeking. I hope that that issue will be highlighted during our debates. I certainly respect the point made by the noble Lord.