§ Mr. Aitkenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost to the Exchequer of transferring the issue of free bus passes to retirement pensioners from the local authorities to the Treasury.
§ Mr. MarksThe powers of local authorities to arrange travel concessions are entirely discretionary, and provisions for retirement pensioners differ from one area to another. Present expenditure by local authorities in Great Britain on travel concessions now totals over £50 million. It is not possible to say what proportion of this relates to free bus passes for retirement pensioners.