HC Deb 12 November 1984 vol 67 cc102-3W
20. Mr. Gould

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the passenger transport executives concerning the proposed changes in allocation of transport supplementary grant under section 20 of the Transport Act 1968.

Mr. Ridley

None, TSG is not paid to PTEs, but to metropolitan county councils and the GLC (as well as to shire counties). I refer to my reply to the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Bidwell) earlier this afternoon—I consulted the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, among others.

41. Mr. Craigen

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on section 20 grants within the transport supplementary grant in the financial year 1984–85.

Mrs. Chalker

In the 1984–85 transport supplementary grant settlement for England my right hon. Friend accepted £53.4 million of metropolitan county councils' estimated expenditure on support for local rail services. Because TSG is a block grant, it is not possible to identify any part of it with support paid by the metropolitan county councils to PTEs for local rail services.

59. Mr. Conlan

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the effect of the withdrawal of transport supplementary grant from certain classes of capital expenditure, such as car parks and many local roads on the feasibility of financing such expenditure.

Mrs. Chalker

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary order, capital expenditure on many major road schemes will be supported with transport supplementary grant at the rate of 50 per cent. in 1985–86—this should go a long way towards financing the most expensive items in local authorities' highways capital programmes. Authorities have always financed the larger part of their transport capital expenditure themselves with the help of the rate support grant and there is no reason why they should not continue to finance comprehensive highways capital programmes within the resources available to them.