§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with representatives of local government about the possibility of changes to the national minimum standards for concessionary travel schemes; and if he will make a statement. [134271]
§ Mr. McNultyThere have been no recent discussions with local authorities regarding the possibility of changes to the current national minimum standards for concessionary travel schemes.
§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the additional payments were in each year since 2001–02 from central Government to(a) local government in England and (b) each local authority and London borough to reimburse local government for the cost of the national minimum standards for concessionary travel schemes introduced under the Transport Act 2000. [134272]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Government have provided an additional £54 million each year since 2001–02 to local government for the cost of the national minimum standards for concessionary travel schemes introduced under the Transport Act 2000, with effect from June 2001. That expenditure, along with other costs falling on local authorities, is provided as part of the contribution that Government make to local authorities through the annual grant settlement.
Figures for the amounts received by each local authority in England, including London boroughs, are not available, as the additional funding for concessionary fares has been included in the total amount of grant distributed to local authorities.
§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of concessionary travel schemes was(a) in England and (b) in each local authority and London borough for (i) the elderly and (ii) the disabled in each year since 2001–02. [134273]
§ Mr. McNultyThe amount spent by local authorities on concessionary travel schemes for older and disabled people in England as a whole, in London, the metropolitan areas and the rest of England in 2001–02 and 2002–03 is summarised in the table. The amount for each authority has been placed in the Libraries of the House. From the data available it is not possible to separate the concessionary spending for older people and disabled people.
65WS
£ million 2001–02 2002–03 England 487 515 London 162 169 English metropolitan areas 203 216 English unitary, district and county areas 122 130
§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the administration costs of implementing national minimum standards for concessionary travel schemes were for(a) local government in England, broken down by local authority and London borough, and (b) his Department in each year since 2001–02. [134274]
§ Mr. McNultyImplementation of the national minimum standard for concessionary travel schemes is a matter for local authorities. Information on the administration costs of implementation is not held centrally.
§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the national minimum standards for concessionary travel schemes; and if he will make a statement. [134275]
§ Mr. McNultyLast year the Department published the Transport Statistics Bulletin, "Concessionary Bus Fare Schemes England 2001", which provided a survey of the provision of all the concessionary fares schemes in England following the introduction of the statutory minimum standard in June 2001.
This showed that over half of local authorities had a more generous concessionary fare scheme for elderly and disabled people compared with the position before the statutory minimum standard came into effect. This included 17 local authorities where there had been no concessionary fare scheme previously.