Ms Anne Graham:

We look, in particular, at the level of demand for a service. The first thing we check is whether there is demand, or potential demand, from customers for the service and then what the impact would be on existing PSO services, in particular. These are main issues we consider when we make a decision whether to grant a licence. On intercity routes, we made a determination that there was a demand for the type of service being requested - an express, limited stop service - and we have been proved right, given the passenger growth achieved on these services.