§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish transport group about the Lothian regional council's plans to provide a subsidy to reduce bus fares; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. YoungerThe group advised me that proposals put to it by the regional council to increase substantially the level of bus support payments would imply a change in the group's external finance limit for 1981–82. I informed the group on 10 February that I was not prepared to consider an increase in the external finance limit to accommodate Lothian regional council's proposals, which run directly counter to the Government's request to local authorities to moderate their current expenditure in 1981–82 in the national interest.
The group's external finance limit already allows for an increase in the level of support provided by local authorities, and I do not regard it as unreasonable to ask the group and local authorities to discuss support arrangements within that framework.