§ Mr. Douglas-Mannasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the subsidy for public bus services for each of the last five years; what
£m. at 1974 survey prices 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 estimated New bus grant … 10.0 10.5 19.3* 35.0 30.2 22.7 Fuel duty rebate … 31.1 29.9 27.2 24.4 20.3 39.0† Revenue support … 1.6 2.9 4.3 5.9 15.3 95.5 42.7 43.3 50.8 65.3 65.8 157.2 * Grant rate doubled. † First full year of full rebate of duty. No significant changes on current levels are expected in the level of central Government support through new bus grant and fuel duty rebate in the next few years. The level of revenue support from local authorities has risen sharply in the past year and the White Paper "Public Expenditure to 1978–79" (Cmnd. 5879) points out that the Government's view is that it would be undesirable for these subsidies to increase much further in 1975–76. However, to reduce the rate of increase in fares which would otherwise have been necessary, the Government decided to accept for transport supplementary grant in England and Wales for 1975–76 £102 million—at 1974 survey prices—of such expenditure. In subsequent years it proposes to accept for TSG levels of expenditure reducing to not more than £50 million—at 1974 survey prices—in 1978–79.