§ Mr. Higginsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he proposes to take to ensure that local authorities covering areas with a high percentage of elderly people are not put at a disadvantage compared with other authorities in deciding whether to provide concessionary bus fares for pensioners.
§ Mr. HoramExpenditure by local authorities on concessionary fares is already relevant for rate support grant which is distributed on the basis of a formula which takes into account each authority's general needs and resources.
§ Mr. Higginsasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of extending the most favourable concessionary bus fares scheme for pensioners now operating outside London to all areas.
§ Mr. HoramSo far as we are aware, the most favourable schemes now operating outside London also provide free bus travel at off-peak hours. The cost of extending such a concession to all pensioners in England and Wales would be about £250 million at November 1977 prices; by comparison we plan that local authorities will be spending about half this sum by 1980–81, if they implement circular 2/78 in full.