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Public Transport: Rural Areas

Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants his Department and its predecessor provided to subsidise public transport in rural areas in England in (a) 2001, (b) 2005 and (c) 2008; and if he will make a statement. [250067] [Official Report, 26 January 2009, Vol. 487, c. 11W.] Letter of correction from Paul Clark: The written answer given to the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack) on 26 January 2009 contained a typographical error in the table detailing the total of grants paid to local authorities under the rural bus subsidy grant and the rural bus challenge. The figure given for the sum paid under the rural bus subsidy grant in 2008-09—£157 million—was incorrect. The correct answer should have been. Paul Clark: The annual totals of grants paid to local authorities under the rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG) and rural bus challenge (RBC) schemes for the relevant financial years are shown in the following table. [Corrected table printed - click on Web Location to view] In addition, local authorities support rural transport services using funds from the unhypothecated revenue support grant and local bus service operators, including those in rural areas, receive bus service operators grant from this Department. Rural railways are funded as part of franchises covering both rural and urban areas or by grants to Network Rail which operates both rural and non rural railway. No separate figures are available for rural rail support.