§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Manchester Council for Voluntary Services about his proposals for deregulating current road transport systems; what reply he is sending; if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RidleyI have received a letter from the Manchester Council for Voluntary Services expressing concern at the Government's proposals for the bus industry. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has replied explaining the benefits of our proposals.
233WI shall send the right hon. Gentleman a copy of the reply which says that our proposals will mean a new lease of life for the bus industry. We are going to give operators a chance to show what they can do in a free market. But responsible public controls and financial assistance will continue. There is to be no end to subsidy, no end to concessionary fares, no end to safety controls. There will be a system of registration to ensure reliable services. Above all, there will be better services for the passenger and better value for the tax and ratepayer.
§ Mr. Robert B. Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce detailed proposals for the allocation and adminstration of the transitional bus grant which was announced in the White Paper, "Buses", Cmnd. 9300.
§ Mr. David MitchellMy Department has today written to various representative organisations explaining in detail our proposals for paying this grant. Following the answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman) on 14 January, at column 5, we have considered further how to define rural areas for this purpose. Our letter proposes that grant should be payable from 1 April 1986 on all mileage run outside larger urban areas as measured by data provided by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys and the Registrar General, Scotland. In the light of work by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, and representations by hon. Members, we have concluded that such mileage within metropolitan countries should be eligible for grant.
Grant will not be payable in any rural areas within London, because the Transport Bill's proposals for deregulation do not apply to London. We are inviting views on whether our proposed definition of larger urban areas as those with populations of 25,000 or more is the most appropriate.