§ Mrs. BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of(a) the cost to public transport bus operators resulting from the increase in fuel costs announced in the recent Budget and (b) its effect on the cost of travel by bus. [11616]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonMy Department estimates that the total cost to bus operators—in England, Scotland and Wales—of the increase in fuel duty announced in the Budget is likely to be about £40 million per year. The effect if any on the fares charged will vary from operator to operator. However, fuel duty is a relatively small part of the total cost of bus operation and the proportion of the duty rebated by my Department to operators of local bus services remains at over 60 per cent.