§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had regarding the current age at which school children stop paying discount fares on buses.
§ Mr. FreemanWe have received few such representations recently.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make his policy to seek to raise the age for discounted fares on buses from 14 to 16 years.
§ Mr. FreemanBus companies are already free to offer cheap fares on a commercial basis to children of any age, and section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 gives local authorities outside London powers to include children under 16 years in a concessionary fares scheme. The decisions on what concessions to give and the ages of the children included in a particular scheme are for the authority concerned.