§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the levels of the rural bus grant to local authorities for 2004–05; and if he will enhance those grants to support authorities in securing the continuation of community transport schemes whose central Government funding has expired. [152860]
§ Mr. McNultyThe total amount allocated to local transport authorities in Rural Bus Subsidy Grant is due to rise from £48.5 million in the current financial year to £51 million in 2004–05. An announcement will be made shortly on the increases for individual authorities which will depend in part on consideration of newly available population data from the 2001 census. Following that announcement it will be for each authority to decide on what schemes and services the grant should be spent.