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Mr. Hill: However, I have glad tidings for the House: I shall give way to the hon. Lady.
Mrs. Laing: I thank the Minister very much for giving way, and for answering my question directly. The point, however, is that the Deputy Prime Minister has given the impression to my constituents that concessionary fares would be funded by the Government. Can the Minister
tell my constituents that the Deputy Prime Minister definitely gave them the wrong impression, and that there will be no funding from the Government?
Mr. Hill: The idea of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister giving the wrong impression is, of course, a contradiction in terms. He did not do so. Moreover, the fact is that the Government are funding the concessionary bus scheme at half the level of bus fares, and we mean to go further.
Amendments Nos. 187 and 188 make our proposals for the statutory minimum standard scheme more generous, and will make it more widely available to those who can least afford to travel. The amendments propose that the travel pass for the half-fare scheme on local buses will be free of charge instead of having a maximum charge of £5, as in our original proposal. We estimate that an extra 2.2 million pensioners will benefit from the change. The extra cost is estimated at £14 million, and that sum will be added to the revenue support grant available to local authorities on the same basis as the cost of the original half-fare proposal. That constructive change shows our continued commitment to an inclusive society and to making travel opportunities more widely available. I commend it to the House.
Mr. Jenkin: I was expecting an intervention from the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Snape), accusing the Minister of cheap populism. It would have been churlish for him to do so, but it would suggest that there may be a double standard. He accused the Liberal Democrats of cheap populism; usually they are guilty of extravagant populism. The populism of the Government is a good deal more economical than that of the Liberal Democrats.
The proposal provides for an alternative to the travel concession authorities scheme if it is a scheme that is provided by way of section 93 of the Transport Act 1985. It does not provide for an alternative that is provided by some other means. If somebody is receiving a discretionary travel concession by some other means, the proposal does not provide an exclusion. I wonder whether the Minister could explain that--perhaps at another time. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 125
Amendment made: No. 187, in page 73, line 29, leave out from "124(1)" to end of line 36 and insert--
'(2) A travel concession authority must not make any charge for the issue of a travel concession permit.'.--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Clause 130
Amendment made: No. 188, in page 76, line 44, leave out from "section" to end of line 8 on page 77 and insert--
'243, after subsection (5) insert--
"(6) No charge may be made for the issue to a person to whom subsection (1)(b) of section 242 above applies of a travel concession permit relating to the concession specified in subsection (8) of that section.".'. --[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Clause 131
Amendments made: No. 189, in page 77, line 20, leave out "current".
No. 304, in page 77, line 21, after "of" insert "traffic congestion,".
No. 190, in page 77, line 22, leave out "current".
No. 191, in page 77, line 25, leave out from "their" to end of line 26 and insert "bus strategy;".
No. 192, in page 77, line 28, leave out--
'current bus strategy (within that meaning)'
and insert "bus strategy".
No. 193, in page 77, line 31, leave out--
'current bus strategy (within that meaning)'
and insert "bus strategy".--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Clause 132
Amendments made: No. 194, in page 77, line 45, after "State" insert--
'with the approval of the Treasury'.
No. 195, in page 77, line 46, leave out--
', with the approval of the Treasury,'.
No. 196, in page 78, line 1, after "State" insert--
'with the approval of the Treasury'.
No. 197, in page 78, line 2, leave out--
', with the approval of the Treasury,'.
No. 198, in page 78, line 6, leave out from "as" to end of line 8 and insert "may be determined by--
(a) the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury (as respects England), or
(b) the National Assembly for Wales (as respects Wales).'.--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Clause 134
Amendments made: No. 199, in page 79, line 2, after "State" insert--
'with the approval of the Treasury'.
No. 200, in page 79, line 3, leave out--
', with the approval of the Treasury,'.
No. 201, in page 79, line 14, leave out from "as" to end of line 15 and insert "may be determined by--
(a) the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury (as respects England), or
(b) the National Assembly for Wales (as respects Wales).'.--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Clause 138
Amendment made: No. 202, in page 80, line 26, after "Part" insert--
'(whether alone or jointly with the National Assembly for Wales)'.--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Clause 140
Amendments made: No. 203, in page 81, leave out lines 4 and 5.
No. 204, in page 81, line 9, at end insert--
' "London transport authority" means the Greater London Authority, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London,'.--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Schedule 10
Amendments made: No. 305, in page 184, line 30, at end insert--
'( ) In subsection (6), for the words following paragraph (b) substitute "to have regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.".'.
No. 205, in page 184, line 31, leave out--
'current bus strategy (within the meaning of section 95(2) of the Transport Act 2000)'
and insert "bus strategy".
No. 206, in page 185, line 2, leave out--
'In section 1 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984'
and insert--
'The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 has effect subject to the following amendments.
6A. In section 1'.
No. 207, in page 185, line 11, at end insert--
'6B.--(1) Paragraph 27 of Schedule 9 (variation and revocation of orders) is amended as follows.
(2) In sub-paragraph (1), for "sub-paragraph (2)" substitute "sub-paragraphs (2) and (3)".
(3) After sub-paragraph (2) insert--
"(3) Where an order is required for the provision of facilities pursuant to a quality partnership scheme made under Part II of the Transport Act 2000 by more than one authority--
(a) it may not be varied or revoked by virtue of this paragraph by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales unless he or it has consulted the other authority or authorities who made the scheme, and
(b) it may not be varied or revoked by virtue of this paragraph by any other authority without the consent of that other authority or those other authorities.".'.
No. 208, in page 185, line 14, leave out from beginning to "paragraph" and insert--
'(1) Section 26(1) (conditions attached to PSV operator's licence) is amended as follows.
(2) In'.
No. 209, in page 185, line 15, after "2000" insert--
'(3) After that paragraph insert'.
No. 306, in page 185, line 25, at end insert--
'( ) In subsection (7), for the words from "so to conduct" to the end substitute "to have regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.".'.
No. 210, in page 185, line 26, leave out "current".
No. 307, in page 185, line 27, leave out "subsection (8)" and insert "that subsection".
No. 211, in page 185, line 28, leave out "current".
No. 212, in page 185, line 30, leave out from "their" to end of line 31 and insert "bus strategy;".
No. 213, in page 185, line 33, leave out--
'current bus strategy (within that meaning)'
and insert "bus strategy".--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Further consideration adjourned.--[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Bill, as amended in the Standing Committee, to be further considered tomorrow.
9 May 2000 : Column 813
9 May 2000 : Column 815
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