§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether public funds are used to compensate British Rail for the travel concessions granted to retirement pensioners; and, if so, how much this support cost in the last available 12 months and how much it is 308W budgeted to cost in the current financial year.
§ Mr. William RodgersBritish Rail sell senior citizens' rail cards to retirement pensioners to enable them to travel at half price on the railways. They do so as a commercial proposition and receive no support from the Government for the scheme. Some local authorities issue tokens to old-age pensioners that can be used for rail travel. I do not know what this costs the authorities concerned.