Local Transport Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 71: 71: After Clause 58, insert the following new Clause— ““Extension of grant-making powers (1) Section 106 of the TA 1985 (grants for transport facilities and services) is amended as follows. (2) In subsection (1), paragraph (a), after ““who are disabled”” insert ““, elderly, persons who are in full-time education, or unemployed””. (3) In subsection (2) after ““providing public passenger transport services”” insert ““or such services that facilitate travel by those members of the public referred to in subsection (1) paragraph (a) above””. (4) In subsection (2), paragraph (b), after ““public passenger transport services”” insert ““or such services that facilitate travel by those members of the public referred to in subsection (1) paragraph (a) above””. (5) Omit subsection (3).”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, the general thrust of the amendment was discussed in Committee. Among the concerns raised by the Government was the scope of that amendment. I hope that the Government feel that their concerns about that have been addressed. The amendment would extend the existing powers of PTAs, PTEs and various councils to make grants for transport facilities and services for disabled people to include other groups, specifically older people, persons in full- or part-time education and the unemployed. Under the Transport Act 1985 it is the only specific grant-making power available to PTEs and other local transport authorities. Under the relevant section of that Act, local transport authorities can make capital grants to provide, maintain or improve facilities wholly or mainly for facilitating travel by members of the public who are disabled. They can also make revenue grants to community transport operators to support the provision of bus services for both the disabled and the elderly. The amendment, which I hope will find better favour with my noble friend, would extend the permissible categories for capital grants to include older people, people in full- or part-time education and the unemployed, and for revenue grants it would allow the same category extension for grants by local transport authorities to community transport operators. In effect, the amendment, if it were adopted, would allow local transport authorities to support a much wider range of initiatives and projects with a social-inclusion focus. That in turn would contribute to wider government goals for tackling social exclusion. It might, for example, allow grants to be made for vehicle acquisition for yellow school bus schemes or for community transport providers. It would also allow for both capital and revenue support to be provided for community transport schemes serving socially excluded communities, rather than just for community transport schemes serving the elderly and the disabled. I beg to move.