§ Mr. FlookTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much grant his Department has given to Somerset county council for rural transport in each year since 1997. [150624]
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§ Mr. McNultyAll local authorities in England (outside London) receive capital funding for local transport through the Local Transport Plan system. The Government also provides revenue support for all local authority spending programmes through the Formula Spending Share system. It is a decision for each authority as to how much of that funding is allocated to rural transport. Somerset CC also received Rural Bus Challenge and Rural Bus Subsidy funding throughout most of the period in question:
Rural Bus Challenge Funding Year of award Name of project Amount awarded (£) 1998 The Mendips flexible bus project 130,00 1998 Exmoor community transport radio 1,004 1999 West Somerset Social Car Scheme 90,823 1999 Wells to Priddy Postbus 25,582 1999 Continuation of Mendip Flexibus Funding 225,195 2000 South Somerset 182,344 2001 Community Transport in Mendip 'Special Rural Component' 89,000 2001 South Somerset Links Langport and Chard 197,000 2001 Rural Surrounds of Wiveliscombe 100,000 2002 Somerset Inclusion Bus Buddy 94,500 The total awarded to Somerset county council under the Rural Bus Challenge since its inception in 1998 is £1,135,448. Payments are made over a number of years, usually over three years.
Rural bus subsidy grant £ 1998–99 1,017,790 1999–2000 974,750 2000–2001 980,300 2001–02 1,285,610 2002–03 1,472,445 2003–04 1,518,856 Figures shown give actual grant paid since its inception in 1998, deducting any grant carried forward from the previous year. The figure for 2003–04 shows the full allocation for this financial year.