Neophyte Liberal MP - Paul Rowen of Rochdale

Paul has been a busy bee after his brief holiday - Look out for some more PQ's on Human genetics and Education.... meanwhile

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total
investment in quality bus corridors has been in each Passenger
Transport Area in each of the last five years.

Karen Buck (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport) Hansard source
The information on investment provided is based on annual returns the Department receives from local transport authorities. It does not hold records on the level of investment in quality bus corridors alone for all Passenger Transport Areas. An authority may have classified investment in quality bus corridors as a bus priority scheme or less likely as a bus infrastructure scheme. The following tables include information provided on both bus priority and bus infrastructure covering the five years of the first local transport plans.

The information on investment provided is based on annual returns the Department receives from local transport authorities. It does not hold records on the level of investment in quality bus corridors alone for all Passenger Transport Areas. An authority may have classified investment in quality bus corridors as a bus priority scheme or less likely as a bus infrastructure scheme. The following tables include information provided on both bus priority and bus infrastructure covering the five years of the first local transport plans.

Bus priority schemes

					£000
Passenger Transport Area	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Greater Manchester	4,743	6,589	6,484	9,099	8,572
Merseyside	697	1,158	69	12	0
West Yorkshire	774	854	1,354	1,530	1,812
South Yorkshire	2,422	4,106	3,680	4,703	5,999
West Midlands	9,598	11,839	19,702	21,945	37,775
Tyne and Wear	590	3,117	12,987	13,590	10,305

Bus infrastructure

					£000
Passenger Transport Area	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Greater Manchester	2,130	826	1,681	1,535	1,395
Merseyside	6,884	6,292	6,462	4,016	5,308
West Yorkshire	1,962	4,664	6,128	6,056	7,295
South Yorkshire	1,568	656	549	2,684	1,377
West Midlands	505	2,656	1,993	3,162	4,381
Tyne and Wear	519	1,281	0	0	0

The figures for 2005–06 are forecast expenditure to the end of this financial year. Other bus related investment is not included in these figures.

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Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what the
total additional cost of introducing free travel for pensioners will be
in 200/ 07; (2) what the cost to passenger transport areas will
be for the provision of free travel for pensioners; and if he will make
extra resources available to cover this.

Karen Buck (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport) Hansard source

The Government will provide an extra £350 million in 2006–07 which will be sufficient to fund the cost to the concessionary travel authorities, including the passenger transport executives.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what
progress he has made in considering the Greater Manchester Integrated
Transport Strategy submitted to his Department on 4th April; (2) what
progress has been made in his consideration of the Manchester Metrolink
Phase 2.

Derek Twigg (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport) Hansard source
The Integrated Transport Strategy for Greater Manchester incorporates proposals for Metrolink Phase III into a wider package of measures. The Department has had a number of discussions with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive concerning their strategy and these are continuing.

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria
will be used for the approval of schemes for the Transport Innovation
Scheme

Derek Twigg (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport) Hansard source
Information on the objectives and operation of the Transport Innovation fund was published on 5 July 2005 in the paper "The Transport Innovation Fund". This paper outlined the characteristics that successful schemes would meet. More detailed guidance on the operation of the fund, including information on the application and decision making process, will be published by the end of 2005.