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Local Transport Bill [HL]

The noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, gave my noble friend an example in a sense. One of the operating companies could go into administration, and it might be appropriate in that circumstance for the PTE to step in as a last resort. I have the confidence that my noble friend Lord Snape has that nearly all bus operators are reputable. I am sure that the big five are capable of dealing with most of the problems that sometimes occur in any industry. There may be an occasion—I hope that there will not be—where a small operator, perhaps in extremis, fails and goes into administration and someone needs to step in and be that operator of last resort. As my noble friend has said, we have not had anything close to that yet, but it would offer a measure of public reassurance if another operator did that. Most of us, however, would not envisage or welcome it happening.