§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress towards introducing a national concessionary travel scheme for pensioners. [84860]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonWe will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time permits to provide for the minimum half-fare scheme for pensioners which we have already proposed. It is open to individual local authorities to introduce such a scheme on their own initiative, before legislation is introduced, for example if at present they provide a less generous scheme, or no scheme at all.