§ Mr. Buchanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he is giving to local authorities on concessionary fares schemes.
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§ Mr. MillanMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are today publishing a Green Paper, relating to the whole of Great Britain, setting out the Government's proposals for a national scheme providing a minimum half-fare concession off-peak on local transport for elderly, blind and disabled people. In Scotland, regional and islands authorities have made good progress in rationalising the schemes which they inherited on reorganisation. The Green Paper proposes to carry this rationalisation forward by introducing a mandatory national scheme to ensure that a minimum level of concession will be available everywhere. This will make possible a new element, transferable, which will mean that the minimum half-fare concession will be available for local journeys anywhere in Great Britain instead of being restricted, as now, to the area where the beneficiary lives. It is proposed that local authorities should be responsible for administering the national scheme but should be free to offer more generous concessions than the national minimum if they see fit to do so. I am now inviting local authorities and other interested bodies in Scotland to comment on these proposals.
§ Mr. Buchanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the Government's plans for remedying the present statutory position in which local authorities in Scotland do not have clear powers to assist mentally handicapped people by means of general concessionary fares schemes.
§ Mr. MillanI have been considering this matter since my attention was drawn to it by, among others, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. I shall shortly be introducing a Bill to provide the necessary powers and I am confident that this matter will be welcomed by all Members of the House.