§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those local authorities which have provided financial support to maintain or retain public transport services.
§ Mr. FreemanIn metropolitan areas, powers to provide financial support for local public transport services are exercised by the passenger transport authorities, which formulate policies for the provision of such support, and by the passenger transport executives, which provide support in line with those policies. In non-metropolitan areas in England and Wales, both county and district councils have powers to provide financial support for public transport services; and in Scotland, regional and island councils exercise similar powers. In London, local authorities have not been required to support local public transport services since 1989–90, when they ceased to pay a levy towards the grant made available to London Regional Transport.
Details of the way in which these powers have been exercised by all the authorities concerned could be provided only at disproportionate cost.