§ Mr. Terry Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Avon County Council has taken up all the aid offered by his Department to subsidise bus services in the county council area; and what checks are made by his Department to ensure that moneys received by local 179W authorities are actually used to subsidise public transport.
§ Mr. HoramIn the transport supplementary grant settlement for 1977–78 my right hon. Friend accepted Avon County Council's bid of £942,000—November 1976 prices—for bus revenue support. The latest estimated expenditure for 1977–78 given to the Department is £699,000; a shortfall of £243,000. We attach high priority to the payment of adequate revenue support by county councils to bus operators; and as my right hon. Friend said in the Press notice for Avon's TSG settlement for 1978–79, he will be monitoring its expenditure on bus subsidies closely.