Public Bodies Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl, although some of his assurances were not quite as unequivocal as I would have liked. It is also clear that, as a result of the pressure on Passenger Focus’s budget, the restriction of research and its refocusing, it will not be as powerful a body as the noble Earl suggests. Nevertheless, I am glad he said that the Government remain committed to having a passenger advocate and see it as a very important part of how we conduct and enforce our public transport policy. I am therefore prepared at this stage to accept his assurances and I thank him for them. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 34A withdrawn. Amendment 34B Moved by