HC Deb 15 March 2004 vol 419 cc1-2W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many passenger journeys were delivered in a typical month for each of the Community Transport Fund's projects in Essex [160105]

Alun Michael

The purpose of these projects is to test out a variety of approaches to improving access to transport in rural areas. Passenger journeys per month from the four schemes able to provide information are as follows:

  • Family Support Clacton—average 200 passenger journeys per month
  • Chelmsford Dial A Ride—average 209 passenger journeys per month
  • Family Support Brightlingsea—average 460 passenger journeys per month
  • Epping Forest CVS Project—average of 470 passenger journeys per month.

The other projects are a mixture of research work, driver and volunteer recruitment and lift sharing schemes, or have not yet made any passenger journey figures available to the Countryside Agency.

Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what options are open to(a) Essex County Council and (b) Castle Point Borough Council for the provision of community and welfare transport for (i) disabled and (ii) elderly people in Castle Point when the current funding scheme expires in April 2005. [160106]

Alun Michael

Following changes to the regulations which will be complete by 1 April 2004, local authorities will be able to support the full range of community and other transport schemes for the disabled and elderly from their own resources, for example, revenue support grant, rural bus subsidy grants and Local Transport Plan funding.

The Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership scheme has proved very successful in showing what can be achieved through local engagement. In the short space of three years it has raised the profile of rural transport issues and shown how much can be achieved by taking an innovative and flexible approach. We look to local authorities to build on this from their mainstream resources.

Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many bids under the Community Transport Fund in Essex have been(a) granted and (b) rejected; and if she will make a statement. [160107]

Alun Michael

The Rural Transport Partnership grant scheme is run by the Countryside Agency on behalf of Defra. In Essex 10 bids were awarded grants and one bid was rejected between April 2001 to February 2004.