24. Mr. lain Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department gives to local authorities' policies on public transport fares structures when allocating transport supplementary grant.
§ Mr. FowlerI shall be looking at both the current and capital expenditure plans of county councils and I have asked them to set out in their transport policies and programmes their fares policy with details of changes in fares planned and allowed for during 1981–82 and 1982–83. In deciding their fares structures local authorities will need to have in mind other priorities such as maintaining and improving their transport system and have full regard to the ability of their ratepayers, both industrial and domestic, to pay, and to what the country can afford by way of public expenditure nationally. I shall have these considerations very much in mind when I consider this autumn the allocation of resources.