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Public Transport: Finance

Answer

The information is as follows:(a) Regions advise central Government about priorities for major local authority schemes (including for local public transport) and certain Highways Agency projects. The total budgets for 2008-09 to 2010-11 for these types of project the regions work to are set out in the following table.

Planning assumptions for Transport
£ million
Region	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
North West	119	121	123
North East	44	45	45
Yorkshire and The Humber	88	90	92
East Midlands	76	77	79
West Midlands	93	95	97
South West	90	92	94
South East	144	147	150
East	98	100	103

(b) The local public transport elements of this funding are provided for local authorities. Detailed information on the funding allocated to local authorities in local transport capital settlements between 1997-08 and 2005-06 (inclusive) was deposited in the Libraries of the House on 18 January 2006. I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 20 March, Official Report, column 1392W, where information about the funding in 2006-07 and 2007-08 was placed in the Libraries of the House.Most Government funding support for local authorities for local public transport services is provided within the revenue support grant, administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). The revenue support grant is not service-specific and it is for local authorities to decide on its use. Transport for London receives a block grant for transport and has the discretion to decide on its use across different modes of transport.In addition the Department, has provided local authorities in rural areas with a specific rural bus subsidy grant and also provides specific grants to assist local authorities with bus projects. From 2008-09 the funding for the rural bus subsidy grant is being pooled in a broad area based grant, administered by CLG.The Department also provides support for investment in integrated transport improvements as part of the local transport capital settlements. It is for local authorities to determine how much of this funding to allocate to projects related to local public transport, in the light of their local policies and priorities.Information about the distribution of the specific grants for bus services and the support for local transport investment in 2006-07, 2007-08 and for 2008-09 was also placed in the Libraries of the House on 20 March.I am placing information about the distribution of the specific bus grants for 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 in the Libraries of the House. Information about the distribution of local transport capital funding, including for integrated transport, was placed in the Libraries of the House on 18 January 2006.Indicative allocations of rural bus subsidy funding for 2009-10 and 2010-11 have been published at:"http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0809/specgrants/dft.xls"The local transport capital settlements for 2009-10 and 2010-11 have been published at:"http://www.dft.gov.uk/pqr/regional/ltp/capital/ltpsettle07/"Some funding support for rail services has also been provided via passenger transport authorities, although these authorities do not, in most cases, provide or procure the services themselves.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

474 c1196-7W; 195925

Session

2007-08

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP2008-0966
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Finance Public transport

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk