---

Pensioner Travel (Tyne and Wear)

On the shortfall and the way in which Nexus has handled it, does my right hon. Friend agree that while we must try to find a solution in the final few days, it is imperative that we find a fair funding formula so that Tyne and Wear does not face this problem every year? Those reserves cannot be spent again. They have been spent this time, but they will not be available in future. We need to resolve the problem this year, but we must make sure that we do not face it again in future.