§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the level of funding for rural bus subsidies in each of the last 10 years. [105698]
§ Mr. HillNo funding was specifically provided for the subsidy of rural bus services during the period 1989–90 to 1997–98, apart from £4 million in 1989–90 and £1 million in 1990–91 of residual spending on the transitional rural bus grant scheme under the Transport Act 1985.
New funding for the support of rural buses was introduced by this Government in 1998–99. In that year my Department paid a total of £25.7 million to English local authorities under the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and Rural Bus Challenge schemes. I understand that allocations by the Welsh Office in 1998–99 to Welsh local authorities under the Bus Partnership Fund totalled £2.25 million.
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§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many bus passenger journeys there were in each of the last 10 years. [105697]
§ Mr. HillThe figures up to 1998–99 are taken from table 2 of the Transport Statistics Bulletin, "A Bulletin of Public Transport Statistics: Great Britain 1999". Local bus passenger journeys made in Great Britain over the last decade are as summarised.
Local bus services: passenger journeys Millions 1989–90 5,068 1990–91 4,844 1991–92 4,660 1992–93 4,475 1993–94 4,380 1994–95 4,415 1995–96 4,378 1996–97 4,345 1997–98 4,325 1998–99 4,243