To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how much his Department has spent on transport in (a) South Tyneside, (b) Tyne and Wear, (c) the North East and (d) England in each year since 1997; (279275)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 28 January 2009, Official Report, columns 535-6W.

In addition, I also refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart) on 28 January 2009, Official Report, columns 534-536W. This provided tables showing the available data on regional expenditure on new construction/improvement and structural maintenance on motorways and trunk roads, as well as regional expenditure on new improvement for highways, lighting, road safety and structural maintenance on local roads for 1999-2000 to 2006-07. The data do not enable new road construction to be identified as a separate category.

The Department has provided the following support for public transport major schemes in the north-east.

Tyne and Wear

Stephenson Link (£6.444 million)

Four Lane Ends Interchange (£7.625 million)

Centrelink and Gateshead Interchange (£17.442 million)

NewcastleGateshead Quaylink (£4.74 million)

Eldon Square Bus Station (£10.970 million)

Rest of north-east

Durham Park and Ride (£9.163 million)

Tyne and Wear Metro

The Department has provided the following sums to support the operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro. It is not possible to split this expenditure between South Tyneside and the other Tyne and Wear local authority areas.

Up to and including 2004-05, grant 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 a separately identifiable amount for capital spend.

Additionally the Department has provided the following specific funding for the Tyne and Wear Metro:

For total transport expenditure in England, table 1.15 of Transport Statistics Great Britain 2008 provides central and local Government expenditure:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2008edition/sectiononemodalcomparisons.pdf

The Treasury provides a breakdown of regional spend by service in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest figures for public expenditure on transport are given in table 9.9 and 9.10:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/10(1).pdf

Before 1 April 2008, funding for the statutory minimum bus concession was provided exclusively through the Formula Grant system, which is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). The Department for Transport therefore provided no separate funding for concessionary bus travel from 2001, when the statutory minimum was first introduced, until 2008.

The Department provided funding in 2007-08 for the cost of producing and issuing the new England-wide bus passes to all those eligible.

In 2008-09 and 2009-10 special grant funding is being provided by DFT to meet the additional cost of the new, England-wide concession.

Concessionary fares funding: