Local Transport Bill [HL]

As the Minister knows, I am very much a localist, but during the course of the legislation, there was potential for having a national scheme operated centrally. There was the potential, as there is now, for running it through district councils in two-tier areas, but there was also the potential of county councils running it. Obviously, county councils have much more resources for raising money than district councils, because of their size. One district council, my district council of Chelmsford, has a deficit of nearly £500,000. That is the council that is going to refuse to pay and the operator is going to sue the district council. It had a deficit of £150,000 this year and predicts £350,000 next year. Some £800,000 is owing to bus operators in our county, which the districts are refusing to pay, and the bus operators are going to sue. It is dissolving into chaos. I know that all sorts of letters have been written asking to see the Secretary of State and so on this week as the problem begins to unravel. Therefore, I am not at all happy with the Minister's answer. The whole thing is collapsing in front of us because the district council cannot cope with it. Perhaps we could go back to the solution of the Government operating a national scheme. Although I was opposed to that in the first place, that might be the best way to do it. It was suggested during the course of the legislation. Perhaps the Minister will comment on that aspect.