§ Mr. Norman Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total public expenditure devoted to rural bus services; and how this is broken down between expenditure by central and local government;
(2) what is the total public expenditure devoted to urban bus services; and how this is broken down between expenditure by central and local government.
§ Dr. GilbertThe distinction between urban and rural services cannot be made precisely, since many bus operations cover both kinds of area. For 1976–77, provision in the last Public Expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 6393) for expenditure in metropolitan counties including the GLC in England and Wales was approximately as follows at November 1974 prices:
£ million Bus investment … … 34 Revenue support … … 57 91 For non-metropolitan counties the provision was:
£ million Bus investment … … 18 Revenue support … … 33 51 In addition, there was provision for £31 million investment by the National Bus Company whose services are mainly but not exclusively in non-metropolitan areas.
Central Government support to the bus industry in England and Wales is specifically provided through (a) new bus grant, for which there is provision of some £29 million in the current year of which approximately £12 million may be attributed to operators in metropolitan 520W counties; and (b) fuel duty rebate, for which there is provision of some £12 million in respect of stage services in metropolitan areas and £18 million elsewhere.
Expenditure by local authorities on bus revenue support and investment in bus facilities is eligible expenditure for the purposes of transport supplementary grant and, in part, for rate support grant, but since these grants are not specifically allocated to any particular item the central Government element cannot be separately identified.