Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Gavin Strang (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 22 April 2008 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Concessionary Bus Travel

Question: As a former Transport Minister, I, too, pay tribute to Gwyneth Dunwoody. She was a great parliamentarian. I congratulate my right hon. Friend and her colleagues on the introduction this month of the English national concessionary travel scheme. In Scotland, we have had such a scheme for some years, and it has given a tremendous boost to elderly people in particular. However, some elderly people living close to the English border with Wales and Scotland do not enjoy as much free travel as we should like. Is it possible that in due course concessionary travel can be extended throughout Great Britain?

Answer: It is refreshing to hear my right hon. Friend welcome and celebrate the proposals for older people, rather than adopting the mealy-mouthed approach of the Conservative party. As he might know, we have had some discussions about the issue of cross-border travel, and many services can already cross county borders. We want to ensure that the English scheme settles down before looking further, but although that has been a priority, it does not rule out further discussions in the future.

Secondary information