To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will establish a nationwide scheme of assistance for retirement pensioners to free travel on road and rail transport at off-peak hours;(2) whether he will establish a nationwide scheme of assistance for retirement pensioners to travel at concessionary rates of 75 per cent. or 66 per cent. on road and rail transport in off-peak hours.

We have no plans to change the present arrangements. Local authorities already have powers to provide free or cheap travel for pensioners on local public transport, and do so in some 90 per cent. of areas. Both British Rail and the long-distance coach operators also have their own travel concessions arrangements for the elderly.