§ 47. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total cost of subsidising rural bus services in Scotland and England and 491W Wales, respectively; and what steps he has in mind to improve those services.
§ Mr. HoramThe Scottish Bus Group and the National Bus Company operate most rural bus services in Scotland and in England and Wales, respectively. In 1976–77 support from the Regional and Islands Councils to the Scottish Bus Group is expected to amount to about £5.4 million, at November 1975 prices, and from the English and Welsh non-metropolitan counties to the National Bus Company to about £20.2 million and £4.1 million, respectively, also at November 1975 prices. It is the responsibility chiefly of the regional and islands councils in Scotland and of the non-metropolitan counties in England and Wales, in consultation with the bus operators, to develop policies concerning the provision of public transport in their areas. Nevertheless, my right hon. Friends and I are promoting experiments in four areas of Great Britain to test out various unconventional means of transport for people living in rural areas.