§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the local authorities in Scotland which apply a concessionary fare scheme for retirement pensioners; and if he will give details of each.
§ Mr. Gregor MacKenzieConcessionary fare schemes for retirement pensioners are the responsibility of regional and islands councils. All the mainland authorities operate such schemes. Borders, Dunfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian. Highland and Strathclyde issue cards which allow reduced price travel, Central uses a token system, and Lothian and Tayside have composite systems with permits for those living within the city boundaries which allow free or flat-rate travel on the city buses, and tokens for other areas. Of the islands authorities, Shetland already has a limited scheme but is considering extending it. Western Isles intends to introduce a scheme in April, and Orkney is considering whether a feasible scheme can be devised for its area.