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Pensioner Travel (Tyne and Wear)

My hon. Friend is quite right. The Nexus budget for the financial year must cover the shortfall; the authority has no choice but to do so. Nexus has set a provisional budget, which is a combination of fare increases and cuts in secure services. As my hon. Friend has suggested, it is drawing down its reserves to cover half the shortfall. It can only do so once, as those reserves will not be available for drawing down again. We need a solution to this year’s problem, and a permanent solution for future years. Students who will be hit by the fare rise think that it is unfair. They are right to hold that view, as Nexus did not intend to introduce a fare rise until the budget shortfall became clear. Pensioners and organisations that represent them are upset too, as pensioners do not want their free travel to be paid for by service cuts and fare rises for others. That point has been made clear to me, and I am quite certain that it has been made to my right hon. and hon. Friends who represent the county. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Minister for the part that he has played in trying to find a solution. Talks are continuing, but I fear that they are doing so in the same way that a fairground roundabout continues in motion—it goes round and round, but it is does not go anywhere. My hon. Friend the Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Clelland) secured on the Floor of the House a promise of a meeting with the Prime Minister. If there is not some real progress, my hon. Friends and I will very soon insist on that meeting. We want our money, and I for one will not give up until we have secured justice for our constituents.