(2) how much capital funding his Department and its predecessors provided for Tyne and Wear Metro in each year since 1997.
The number of passenger journeys on the Tyne and Wear Metro in each year since 1997 is as follows:
Number of passenger journeys (million) 1997-98 35.0 1998-99 33.8 1999-00 32.7 2000-01 32.5 2001-02 33.4 2002-03 36.6 2003-04 37.9 2004-05 36.8 2005-06 35.8 2006-07 37.9 2007-08 39.8 2008-09 40.6
Since April 1997 the Government have provided the following specific capital funding:
Purpose £ million 1999-2000 to 2003-04 Extension of the Metro to Sunderland 37.465 2000-01 Metrocar refurbishment 0.46 2002-03 to 2004-05 Four Lane Ends Bus/Metro Interchange 7.62 2000-01 CCTV provision 7.2
The Government have also supported investment in the Metro through local transport capital block funding provided to the Tyne and Wear local authorities and the Passenger Transport Executive (Nexus) though the Local Transport Plan (LTP) system and previous arrangements. The proportion of this funding spent on the Metro is a matter for the local LTP partners and information is not held centrally. Nexus has also received grants from the European Commission for Metro capital funding.
In addition the Government have provided an annual subsidy for the Metro in every year since 1997. Up to and including 2004-05 this was provided solely as revenue support although Nexus were able to use this for capital spending on the Metro. Since then the annual subsidy has included the following specific elements of capital grant:
£ million 2005-06 4.180 2006-07 4.305 2007-08 4.391 2008-09 7.548