HC Deb 08 May 2002 vol 385 cc216-7W
Mr. Chaytor

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many complaints were registered with each passenger transport authority against bus operators, broken down by name of operator, in each of the last three years. [54265]

Ms Keeble

This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Individual passenger transport authorities may, however, be able to provide information about complaints they have received.

Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total bus subsidies paid in each of the past four years were in (a) urban and (b) rural areas. [54814]

Ms Keeble

Data are not collected in the precise form requested. The table summarises the available data on public financial support for local bus services in England.

£million
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01
Concessionary fares reimbursement by local authorities
London and metropolitan areas 286 289 289 301
Rest of England 104 103 102 113
Local authority service subsidies1
London and metropolitan areas 99 121 119 209
Rest of England 86 110 127 135
Fuel duty rebate from central Government
London 30 37 46 47
Rest of England 157 185 231 254
1 This comprises Revenue Support Grant funding for local authorities, funding from London Transport/Transport for London and expenditure under the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant scheme.

Note: Data on expenditure on fuel duty rebate to bus services in metropolitan areas are not kept separately.