Mr. Stephen Kent:

Fewer than five people are availing of that opportunity so it is a very low percentage. I do not believe even 1% of bus drivers step forward to do it. There is greater merit in trying to attract young and new drivers into the system.

There is this curve that comes in all the time from new drivers, unfortunately. When they come in, we tend to see a collision rate increase that eases with experience and, unfortunately, it can go back up on the other side in the schemes and what we have done. We are simply trying to take the balance of risk and the operation, ultimately, always on the side of the children to ensure the carriage is as safe as possible. That is really our position. We have seen nothing to change our position in that regard.

In terms of anything we have done in the short term, where there has been any disruption to service in the short term when a driver has decided to come out of it, we have filled each of those positions. We have always filled them. It is not wrong to say there will be challenges - they will be there - but there are equally charges by then deciding whether it is 71 or 72 or if we are happy it is a minibus or whether it is a 96-seater. There are a huge number of practicalities and what we do is deliver the scheme as safely as possible on behalf of the kids.