§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Minister of Transport what estimates are available to his Department of the cost of senior citizen passes for travel on London transport at off-peak times; on what basis such estimates were assessed; and whether he will estimate on the same basis the cost of a similar facility throughout the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is for the Greater London Council and the London Transport Executive to negotiate the cost of concessionary travel in London. I understand that the council expects to spend about £30 million in 1980–81 on concesionary fares for elderly people. A scheme providing free off-peak travel for elderly people, as in London, on local buses in Great Britain would cost about £300 million a year.
§ Mr. Colvinasked the Minister of Transport if he will publish a list of those local authorities on England and Wales which operate concessionary bus fare schemes for retirement pensioners, indicating the cost in the last full year of operation and the basis upon which such units are calculated.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is for individual local authorities to decide what, if any, concessions to provide for elderly people. The Department does not collect details of their schemes. A report of a sample survey, carried out in 1978 was placed in the Library on 20 February last. Authorities settle the payment for schemes in negotiation with operators. Their expenditure in England and Wales in 1979–80 totalled £123 million at November 1979 prices.