Local Transport Bill [Lords]

The Liberal Democrats welcome the new clause as a sensible step in the right direction. My only question is about the difference between the nine-month period and the 12-month period to which the Minister referred. The last three months are subject to approval by the traffic commissioner. Is the Minister planning to publish guidelines on the circumstances in which the traffic commissioner would be empowered or encouraged to give that three-month extension? As the times—nine and 12 months—are quite limited, presumably any discussion with the traffic commissioner would have to begin some time before the nine-month limit was up.