§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial support his Department has given in the current financial year to community transport schemes. [11]
§ Ms KeebleMy Department supports the community transport sector through funding the Community Transport Association's Information and Advice Service. That Service, which will receive £100,000 in funding this financial year, provides support and advice to community transport schemes and local authorities across the country.
In direct support for community transport schemes, the local transport capital settlement for 2001–02 provided £559 million (including reserves) of capital funding for local authorities in England, outside London, for use on small scale integrated transport measures. Authorities have discretion in the expenditure of such resources that may be used as capital support for community transport schemes in line with the priorities established within their local transport plans.
We have also made available £10 million in the current financial year for those and other transport projects in rural areas through the Rural Transport Partnership and the Parish Transport Grant schemes administered by the Countryside Agency.
Awards to be made later this year to bids successful in this year's Rural and Urban Bus Challenge schemes will also include significant new financial support for community transport services. This will be in addition to support already being given as a result of earlier rounds of the Rural Bus Challenge. Many of the existing 150 challenge awards involve community transport provision.
My Department has already consulted relevant organisations on plans to extend eligibility for fuel duty rebate to a wider range of community transport services, which will be implemented in this financial year.