Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007
Encyclopedia
The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 is an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
which entitles all English
people who are either disabled or over the age of 60 to free travel on local bus
es at off-peak times anywhere within England (transport being a devolved matter and therefore within the purview of the Scottish Parliament
, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly
); previously, free travel had only been available within the recipient's local authority area.
population, bus patronage, overnight visitors and retail floor space), in the following proportions:
The funding allocated by Government was criticised by some as inadequate, and some local authorities anticipate budget shortfalls as a result. The government defended its decision not to compensate local authorities on the basis of actual costs incurred on the grounds that "such an approach would mean that the central government would hold all the financial risks but have no commensurate control of how the risks are managed".
, where it received cross-party support. It received third reading from the Lords on 5 February 2006, and from the Commons on 28 June, with minor amendments, including one allowing the Government to make payments from public funds to fund the scheme, since money bills cannot be started in the Lords. These amendments were agreed to on 5 July, and the Bill received Royal Assent
on 19 July. Under the commencement order, the Bill entered into force to allow the making of some regulations by the Secretary of State
, and for some other preliminary purposes, on 17 October 2007, and in full on 1 April 2008.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
which entitles all English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
people who are either disabled or over the age of 60 to free travel on local bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es at off-peak times anywhere within England (transport being a devolved matter and therefore within the purview of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
); previously, free travel had only been available within the recipient's local authority area.
Funding
Under the scheme, bus companies are compensated by local authorities for carrying passholders, and the authorities in turn receive funding from central Government to offset the cost, in the form of a special grant under s.88B of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, for which a total of £212 million has been allocated. This is distributed using a funding formula on the basis of four factors (eligiblepopulation, bus patronage, overnight visitors and retail floor space), in the following proportions:
| Proportion | |
|---|---|
| Eligible population | 5.1% |
| Bus patronage | 41% |
| Overnight visitors | 15.4% |
| Retail floor space | 38.5% |
The funding allocated by Government was criticised by some as inadequate, and some local authorities anticipate budget shortfalls as a result. The government defended its decision not to compensate local authorities on the basis of actual costs incurred on the grounds that "such an approach would mean that the central government would hold all the financial risks but have no commensurate control of how the risks are managed".
Passage through Parliament
As is common for uncontroversial measures, the Bill was introduced in the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, where it received cross-party support. It received third reading from the Lords on 5 February 2006, and from the Commons on 28 June, with minor amendments, including one allowing the Government to make payments from public funds to fund the scheme, since money bills cannot be started in the Lords. These amendments were agreed to on 5 July, and the Bill received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 19 July. Under the commencement order, the Bill entered into force to allow the making of some regulations by the Secretary of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
, and for some other preliminary purposes, on 17 October 2007, and in full on 1 April 2008.
External links
- The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, as amended from the National Archives.
- The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007, as originally enacted from the National Archives.
- Explanatory notes to the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007.