§ Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications there have been for the Rail Passenger Partnership in rural areas since its launch; how many have been accepted; and what the average amount spent on each bid has been to date. [88144]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) scheme was launched in 1999 with a budget of £105 million over three years. In December 2001 the Strategic Rail Authority re-launched RPP with a budget of £400 million until 2010–11.
It is not possible to give a precise figure for the amount spent exclusively in rural areas, as many of the schemes for which funding has been awarded by the SRA are of benefit to rural and non-rural areas. However, since the launch of the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme, applications for 68 schemes containing a rural element have been received. Of these, 36 schemes have been approved for funding. There are a further 13 schemes with a rural element where the Strategic Rail Authority are awaiting formal bids. From the total of those approved bids containing a rural element, the average RPP funding awarded is around £100,000.