§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations he has received concerning the extension of fuel duty rebate to dial-a-bus services; what assistance is currently available to(a) rural and (b) urban dial-a-bus services; and if he will make a statement; [66606]
(2) what plans he has to extend the eligibility criteria for fuel duty rebate to dial-a-bus services.[66605]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonWe have no present plans to extend the eligibility of bus fuel duty rebate beyond those services which (amongst other criteria) are available to the general public and are registered with the Traffic Commissioner as a local bus service.
We have received a number of representations on this matter, which has also been recently raised in the review of voluntary transport that my Department commissioned last year. We expect to receive the report on that review shortly and will be considering its recommendations carefully.
Support for both urban and rural dial-a-bus services is primarily a matter for each local authority to decide in the light of its overall spending priorities and the resources available to it. Additional support for specific rural community transport projects, including dial-a-bus services, is available as part of the Government's new funding for rural transport, announced in the last Budget, of £50 million a year, of which Scotland's share is £4.5 million a year.