31
Local Authority special grant funding in 2010/11 for the national bus concession in England Consultation Paper Department for Transport November 2009 1
Local Authority special grant funding in 2010/11 for the national bus concession in England
Consultation Paper
Department for Transport
November 2009
1
Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................3
2. Executive Summary .........................................................................................5
3. Background.......................................................................................................7
4. Proposed revised distribution ......................................................................13
5. Statutory data requirements .........................................................................15
6. County-level pooling of special grant ..........................................................17
7. Consultation Questions .................................................................................18
8. What will happen next....................................................................................19
9. How to Respond .............................................................................................20
Annex A: Exemplification of revised distribution ..............................................23
Annex B: List of those consulted ........................................................................30
2
1. Introduction
1.1. The all-England bus concession is a hugely popular policy which has given the opportunity for greater freedom and independence to around 11 million older and disabled people and represents a major step forward in tackling social inclusion for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
1.2. This consultation concerns the distribution of the 2010/11 special grant funding to Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs)1 to meet the extra costs of the improved statutory minimum bus concession in England, which commenced on 1 April 2008. The concession now guarantees free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England for people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people, who are resident in England. This applies to travel from 9.30am to 11pm on weekdays, and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.
1.3. Whilst the Department is confident that the additional special grant funding provided to local authorities since April 2008 is sufficient in total to meet the extra costs of the new concession, a review of the costs incurred by authorities during the first full year of the new concession has shown that there are some distributional issues with the grant. Some authorities may have received insufficient funding to cover their additional costs whilst others may have received significantly more grant than required. This consultation is therefore seeking views on whether to allocate the special grant funding for 2010/11 using a revised distribution which seeks to better match the actual costs imposed on local authorities by the change in the statutory minimum concession.
1.4. This consultation paper is technical in nature and is intended primarily for TCAs who manage the reimbursement arrangements associated with the concession. However, we welcome comments from any other stakeholders and interested parties, including members of the general public.
1.5. When drafting your responses to this Consultation Document please bear in mind the limited scope of this consultation. It does not cover the issues of eligibility for concessionary travel, the scope, or historic funding, of the statutory concession through Formula Grant, reimbursement, appeals, mutual recognition of passes across the United Kingdom or how concessionary travel is administered. If you wish to obtain further information about any other matter relating to concessionary
1 Travel Concession Authorities are the authorities responsible for administering concessionary schemes. They are generally non-metropolitan district councils, unitary authorities, the London boroughs and the Passenger Transport Executives.
3
fares in England please contact us by emailing [email protected] and we will be happy to help.
1.6. This consultation has been shortened to 8 weeks from the usual 12 weeks because of the narrow range of the issues involved, and to give local authorities certainty over their allocations at the earliest opportunity in advance of their final budget setting processes for 2010/11.
1.7. The revised distribution proposed in this consultation has been prepared taking into account the data provided by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) on their spending on concessionary travel in 2008/09. This data is not due to be published by CLG until November and has been provided to the Department for Transport for the purposes of formulating the revised distribution under the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, Protocol 2 - Release Practices.
1.8. The views sought in this consultation do not require authorities to have regard to the CLG publication in November. The consultation is seeking views on whether the proposed revised distribution better reflects the additional costs being incurred by each individual authority as a result of the improved concession. Every local authority will already be aware of, and have access to, its own data on the impact of the change in the concession and so will be able to judge whether the revised amount (if applicable) is appropriate.
1.9. The consultation period ends at 5.30pm on 30 December 2009, so please ensure that your responses reach us before then. Respondents are encouraged to respond as early as possible if they have evidence as to why the proposed revised distribution may be inappropriate. This will assist us in providing certainty to authorities over their final allocations at the earliest opportunity. Details of how to respond are given on page 20.
4
2. Executive Summary
2.1 The introduction of free off-peak concessionary bus travel throughout England from 1 April 2008 placed an increased cost burden on those local authorities responsible for administering the concession. Government has made available special grant funding of £212 million in 2008/09, £217 million in 2009/10 and £223 million in 2010/11 to cover these additional costs. This brings the total spending on concessionary travel to around £1 billion per year.
2.2 The purpose of the special grant is solely to cover the additional cost of the new concession. Funding for the pre-existing elements of the concession continues to be provided through Formula Grant. The Government is confident that the special grant funding is sufficient in total to meet the additional cost of the extended concession to local authorities. It is based on generous assumptions about fares, bus pass take up rate, extra journeys and additional operating costs.
2.3 The Department for Transport consulted on the initial distribution of the special grant funding in 2007 and Special Grant Report no.129, which specified the amounts to be paid to authorities for the three years from 2008/09 to 2010/11 based on the most popular option, was approved by Parliament in March 2008. The funding is allocated to local authorities under powers at Section 88B of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.
2.4 A review of the costs incurred by authorities during the first full year of the new concession has shown that there may be some distributional issues with the grant, with some authorities potentially receiving insufficient funding to cover their additional costs whilst others may have received significantly more grant than required. This consultation is therefore seeking views on whether to allocate the special grant funding for 2010/11 using a revised distribution, which seeks to better match the distribution of costs being incurred by local authorities.
2.5 A revised distribution for 2010/11 is proposed within this paper. This new distribution has been developed by taking into account the change in spending on concessionary travel by each authority following the introduction of the national concession. Views are invited on whether the revised distribution is preferable to the original distribution, and on whether there is any evidence which suggests that the revised distribution does not accurately reflect the additional costs being incurred by individual authorities as a result of the change in the statutory minimum concession.
5
2.6 The paper also sets out a proposal to require authorities to provide the Department for Transport with data relating to their concessionary travel schemes. The proposed data requirements include quarterly returns on year-to-date actual and full-year forecast spending on the statutory minimum concessionary travel scheme and annual returns providing details of the reimbursement arrangements entered into with bus operators. Views are invited on whether there are any reasons why this information could not be provided.
6
3. Background
The statutory minimum bus concession from April 2008
3.1 On 1 April 2008, the statutory minimum bus concession for older and eligible disabled people was improved to cover free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England. Prior to this the statutory minimum concession had guaranteed free off-peak local bus travel only within an individual local authority’s area. Authorities have however always had the discretion to offer additional travel concessions above the statutory minimum.
3.2 Under the improved concession, concessionary bus pass holders are now able to board any local bus in England and be entitled to free off-peak travel. This entitlement applies irrespective of which Travel Concession Authority (TCA) issued their pass.
3.3 In London, the concessionary travel arrangements are different to the rest of England. The statutory minimum concession in London is set out in the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Under this legislation London Boroughs were statutorily required to provide free off-peak bus travel on the London Bus Network for their residents across the Greater London area prior to April 2008.
3.4 Therefore the only change to the concessionary travel arrangements in London following the introduction of the England-wide national concession was the requirement to grant all eligible England residents a waiver of the fare for each off-peak journey beginning on the London bus network. London residents also became eligible to travel for free on off-peak local services anywhere within England (funded by the local authority in which their journey starts).
3.5 Outside London there are currently 263 TCAs that are responsible for providing concessionary travel for their eligible residents. In London, the Freedom Pass scheme is administered by London Councils on behalf of the London boroughs.
Drivers of additional reimbursement costs for TCAs from April 2008
3.6 Bus operators should be reimbursed on a “no better and no worse off” basis for participating in concessionary travel schemes. This applies to the statutory minimum concession and any discretionary enhancements an authority may offer. The basis for this approach is set out in legislation and in existing guidance.
7
Nevertheless it may be useful to reiterate here the drivers for the additional costs that TCAs are now facing from the improved concession.
3.7 Bus operator reimbursement consists of two main elements: i) revenue foregone for a trip that would have been taken at a commercial fare in the absence of any scheme and ii) any additional costs of new trips such as additional capacity and higher operating costs.
3.8 The additional burden faced by TCAs from the new concession, and the commensurate funding requirement on Central Government, is limited to the additional reimbursement to operators for journeys that would have been paid for in the absence of the new concession (plus any additional costs). This is explained in more detail below.
3.9 The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 also changed the basis for reimbursement. Previously TCAs were obliged to reimburse operators for journeys made by their pass holders. From April 2008 TCAs have been required to reimburse for all eligible pass holders boarding buses in their area in the off-peak, irrespective of which TCA issued their pass. This has impacted on the total number of trips a TCA is required to provide reimbursement for.
Fare revenue reimbursement for trips that would have been made in the absence of the national bus concession
3.10 Bus operators need to be reimbursed for the revenue foregone from trips where a commercial fare (including available discounts) would have been paid. Such trips fall into three categories:
o Trips that would have previously been paid for by concessionary bus pass holders because they cross the boundary of the TCA in which they reside (some TCAs may have previously paid for such trips on a discretionary basis from its own resources);
o Trips that would have previously been paid for by concessionary bus pass holders because their pass was issued by a different TCA to the one in which the trip takes place;
o Trips made by new concessionary bus pass holders that would previously have been paid for.
8
Reimbursement for new trips
3.11 Where a trip is new – i.e. it would not have been made in the absence of the concession – bus operators need to be reimbursed only for the additional costs of that trip, not the full commercial fare, as this revenue would not have been received in the absence of the concession.
Additional funding available
3.12 The Government has made available special grant funding of £212 million in 2008/09, £217m in 2009/10 and £223m in 2010/11 to cover the additional costs of the improved concession. This brings total spending on concessionary travel to approximately £1 billion per year.
3.13 The special grant is solely to cover the additional cost of the new concession. Funding for the pre-existing elements of concessionary travel (i.e. free off-peak local bus travel within the TCA area) continues to be provided through Formula Grant. The majority of funding is provided through this route. Any discretionary enhancements to the new statutory minimum, such as concessionary travel during the morning peak, and/or on other modes, or for other categories of people, continue to be funded locally.
Distribution mechanism for new funding
3.14 The additional funding for the improved concession is being distributed by a non-ringfenced special grant (made under section 88B of the Local Government Finance Act 1988), rather than the usual mechanism for funding local government – the formula grant process. The decision to use a special grant reflected the views of local government and provided an opportunity for Parliament to scrutinise the distribution.
3.15 The Department for Transport consulted on the distribution of the special grant funding in 2007 and a Special Grant Report, which specified the amounts to be paid to authorities for the three years from 2008/09 to 2010/11, was approved by Parliament in March 2008 based on the most popular option.
3.16 The original distribution was based on a formula linked to variables that were anticipated to correlate to the drivers of extra cost. Factors which are likely to influence the extra costs faced by TCAs from the improved concession include:
9
o The number of concessionary bus pass holders within the TCA. This is itself related to the TCA’s eligible population;
o The extent of the bus infrastructure within a TCA; and
o The extent to which the TCA ‘attracts’ concessionary bus pass holders from other TCAs to use its bus infrastructure. This could be related to the opportunities to use leisure or medical infrastructure within the TCA, the location of shopping centres and offices, the location of family and friends, and the extent to which a TCA acts as a transport hub for other onward journeys.
3.17 The variables used in the formula and their weightings were as follows:
o Eligible Population – 5.1%
o Bus Patronage – 41%
o Overnight Visitors (Domestic) – 15.4%
o Retail Floor Space – 38.5%
3.18 Bus patronage data is only available at a county level. In the original consultation paper it was allocated at a sub-county level on the basis of population. However following comments received during the consultation process it was subsequently changed to be allocated 50% based on population and 50% on bus stop density at the sub-county level. This measure was thought to give a better proxy of actual bus use at district council level.
3.19 The grant distribution was therefore expected to reflect the likely burden of cost and was designed to direct funding towards ‘hotspot’ areas such as coastal towns, urban centres and other authorities likely to experience an increase in concessionary bus journeys as a result of the new concession.
Review of scheme costs following the first year of the new concession
3.20 Following the first full year of the England-wide concession, the Department for Transport has carried out a review of the additional costs incurred by TCAs. This review has been based on data provided by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) on their Resource Outturn forms for 2008/09. Local authorities are required to report on these forms
10
the total amount that they have spent on concessionary travel in the previous financial year. The 2008/09 Resource Outturn data will be published by CLG in November.
3.21 We have compared these spending returns with those provided for the 2007/08 financial year (the year before the introduction of the national scheme) to establish the change in spend by each authority following the introduction of the national concession. In analysing this data, we have sought to isolate as far as possible the impact of the changed concession on spending. This means taking into account other information that is available regarding changes between the two years where it is deemed sufficiently robust. This includes taking into account the existence of discretionary countywide and out of area free travel schemes prior to April 2008, which may have masked the full additional burden placed on some authorities, or significant changes in the terms of reimbursement.
3.22 It should be noted that the review has only considered whether the additional costs of providing the extended concession have been met by the special grant funding. The review has not considered any costs associated with the pre-2008 statutory minimum bus concession or the funding that is provided for this via formula grant.
3.23 This analysis has enabled us to conclude that the total additional special grant funding provided in 2008/09 was more than sufficient to meet the costs of the new concession. However, it is apparent that the distribution of the £212m of funding between authorities has given rise to some imbalances, and some authorities may have received insufficient funding to cover their additional costs whilst others may have received more grant than they required.
3.24 In the main, the special grant formula has been successful with the significant majority of TCAs receiving more than sufficient funding to meet their additional costs. Whilst the Government remains committed to the principle of providing certainty to local government through three year funding allocations, we have always said that we will keep the funding required for the improved concession under review, especially given the uncertainty prior to the launch of the concession over how each authority would be affected.
3.25 No grant distribution will ever be perfect but the Department considers that it cannot justify persisting with a given distribution when there is clear evidence of shortfalls in some authorities and significant windfalls in others. This is particularly important to us in these tough economic circumstances and we are therefore seeking views on whether to allocate the special grant funding for 2010/11 using a
11
revised distribution. This is designed to provide a more equitable distribution of funding amongst local authorities, by better matching the distribution of costs that have actually been incurred during the first year of the national concession.
12
4. Proposed revised distribution
4.1 As discussed above, an analysis of the spending on concessionary travel in 2008/09 as reported to CLG, has shown that a number of authorities may have received insufficient funding from the original special grant distribution to meet the additional costs they have incurred from the improved statutory minimum bus concession. The Department is not in a position to retrospectively adjust allocations already made for 2008/09 and 2009/10 as this would cause significant problems, including creating financial uncertainty for local authorities. However, the opportunity exists to consider a revised distribution of funding for 2010/11, which ensures the available funding is fairly distributed across the country.
4.2 The Department has therefore produced a revised proposal for the distribution of special grant funding in 2010/11, based on the methodology set out at section 3.21, which takes into account the additional costs that authorities have actually incurred following the change to the statutory minimum bus concession.
4.3 Exemplifications of the share of £223m of special grant funding that each TCA would receive in 2010/11 under the proposed revised distribution are at Annex A. The original special grant allocations for 2010/11 are also included in this annex for comparison. It should be noted that the revised distribution is only provisional and will be revised in the light of responses received to the consultation.
4.4 The revised allocations uplifts the amounts paid to those authorities that have experienced shortfalls in line with the anticipated cost of the concession in 2010/11. This is based on the change in actual costs incurred by authorities in 2008/09 (the first year of the national bus concession) compared to 2007/08 and the extent to which the original grant allocation accounted for this difference. It also allows for increases in costs between 2008/09 and 2010/11.
4.5 Under the revised distribution authorities that have received grant allocations that are significantly higher than the additional costs they have incurred will see a reduction in their grant allocations. However, this reduction should generally represent less than half of their surplus funding and is therefore designed to minimise the impact on the overall financial position of those authorities.
4.6 The most significant change from the revised distribution will be experienced in London. This is because it was originally anticipated that London would require a very significant grant to meet the cost of concessionary passengers from the surrounding counties now travelling for free on the extensive London Bus Network.
13
It has now transpired that there have been far fewer of these trips than was anticipated and consequently the funding requirement in London is much lower than that provided for under the original grant distribution.
4.7 A significant number of authorities would see no change to their grant allocations for 2010/11 under the proposed revised distribution. These are authorities where the original grant allocation was already generally consistent with the costs that they have incurred..
4.8 This consultation is therefore seeking views on whether to re-allocate the special grant funding for 2010/11 on the basis of the revised distribution. In responding to the consultation questions below it is important that wherever possible consultees provide any available evidence to support their view on the size of cost burden created by the new concession.
Question 1: Is the proposed revised distribution of special grant funding for 2010/11 preferable to the original distribution?
Question 2: Are there any factors which mean the revised distribution does not accurately reflect the additional costs of the improved concession being incurred by individual authorities? If yes, please provide specific evidence to support your answer (eg. of other changes that may have affected concessionary travel spending between 2007/8 and 2008/9, or the amounts being spent on discretionary concessions such as out of area travel in 2007/8).
14
5. Statutory data requirements
5.1. The Local Government Finance Statistics Division of Communities and Local Government (CLG) collects financial information from local authorities in England. The information is used for the purpose of informing Ministers involved in setting government policy and in the assessment of grants payable to authorities for carrying out their statutory functions.
5.2. At present the primary source of information that the Department for Transport receives on local authority spending on concessionary travel comes from these statistics. The statistics do not however separate spending on the statutory minimum bus concession and other discretionary travel concessions that may be offered by local authorities, such as concessions on other modes of transport or for other groups of people. This can make it difficult to assess the funding requirement of local authorities for the statutory minimum concession.
5.3. Furthermore, owing to the lengthy validation processes involved in checking the data provided by local authorities and the extent of the data collected by CLG, the final outturn statistics are not published until almost eight months after the end of the financial year. In the case of concessionary travel, this has made it difficult for Government to respond quickly to local authority concerns over funding shortfalls.
5.4. The Department for Transport also conducts biennial surveys on the type of discretionary concessions offered by local authorities, the number of concessionary bus passes in circulation and data used for reimbursement of bus operators. These surveys do no currently collect data on expenditure by local authorities on discretionary concessions. Earlier this year the Department carried out an ad-hoc survey on discretionary expenditure to seek to fill this data gap.
5.5. We are seeking views as part of this consultation over the introduction of data provision requirements in relation to the payment of concessionary travel special grant to local authorities. These requirements would be pursuant to section 139A of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. If this proposal is taken forward, we would also seek to rationalise the information requested in our biennial surveys.
15
5.6. The proposed data requirements are as follows:
o Quarterly returns on year-to-date actual spending on the statutory minimum concession
o Quarterly returns on full-year forecast spending on the statutory minimum concession
o Annual returns detailing the reimbursement arrangements entered into with bus operators, including details of revenue reimbursement rates, additional cost arrangements, average fare data and concessionary bus patronage data.
5.7. The timely provision of this data would assist the Department for Transport in analysing concessionary travel spending trends and in assessing future grant requirements. A requirement to provide data under S139A of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, would be as a statutory requirement and failure to supply the information could therefore affect an authority's future concessionary travel funding.
5.8. The Department would develop a standard form for the supply of this data to ensure that the information is as consistent and comparable as possible. We would be keen to work with local authorities to ensure that the burden of compliance is minimised as far as reasonably practicable.
5.9. Timely access to high quality data on concessionary travel will be particularly important in 2010/11 as significant changes to how bus operators are reimbursed and who administers the concession are considered. This consultation is therefore seeking views from local authorities on the feasibility of providing the Department with this information.
Question 3: Are there any reasons why quarterly returns on year-to-date actual and full-year forecast spending on the statutory minimum concessionary travel scheme could not be provided?
Question 4: Are there any reasons why annual returns providing details of the reimbursement arrangements entered into with bus operators could not be provided?
16
6. County-level pooling of special grant
6.1. Our analysis of local authority spending returns for 2008/09 has shown that whilst individual district authorities may be suffering a shortfall, there generally seems to be sufficient funding within most county areas as a whole. The Concessionary Travel Special Grant Report which was approved by Parliament in March 2008 made clear that the Secretary of State reserves the right, if there is agreement amongst all shire districts in a given county council area, to make a single aggregate payment to a county council, or a lead district council, in that county council area, in lieu of separate payments to individual districts. This arrangement continues to be available to authorities and we encourage this approach.
6.2. The Department has recently consulted on possible changes to the administration of concessionary travel. An announcement on the outcome of this consultation is due to be made shortly. If it is decided that county councils will take over responsibility for administering concessionary travel from April 2011, the approach of pooling special grant funding at county level in 2010/11 could also assist in preparing authorities for the move in responsibility for administering the concession
17
7. Consultation Questions
7.1. Below is a summary of the consultation questions posed in this document. They have been included as a convenient structure on which consultees can prepare a response. Alternatively, you can ignore these questions and formulate a response in your own way.
Question 1: Is the proposed revised distribution of special grant funding for 2010/11 preferable to the original distribution?
Question 2: Are there any factors which mean the revised distribution does not accurately reflect the additional costs of the improved concession being incurred by individual authorities? If yes, please provide details.
Question 3: Are there any reasons why quarterly returns on year-to-date actual and full-year forecast spending on the statutory minimum concessionary travel scheme could not be provided?
Question 4: Are there any reasons why annual returns providing details of the reimbursement arrangements entered into with bus operators could not be provided?
18
8. What will happen next
8.1. A summary of responses, including the next steps will be published in January 2010 on www.dft.gov.uk; paper copies will be available on request. This will include the Government’s response to the issues raised in the consultation and will provide details of the final allocations for each authority. If a revised distribution is the preferred option, a new Special Grant Report will be laid before Parliament setting out the revised allocations and withdrawing the original payment scheme for 2010/2011. This Report will be the subject of debate early in 2010 before a resolution is sought from the House of Commons. The grant will be paid in the 2010/11 financial year.
19
9. How to Respond
9.1. The consultation period begins on 4 November 2009 and will run until 5.30pm on 30 December 2009. Please ensure that your response reaches us by that date. Respondents are encouraged to respond earlier than this if possible as this will assist us in providing certainty to authorities over their final allocations at the earliest opportunity. If you would like further copies of this consultation document it can be found at www.dft.gov.uk or you can contact the concessionary travel team using the contact details below if you would like alternative formats (Braille, audio CD, etc).
9.2. When responding, please use the response form provided and if possible respond electronically. Please send all consultation responses to:
Concessionary Travel Department for Transport 3/11 Great Minster House 76 Marsham Street London, SW1P 4DR Phone number: 020 7944 2297 Fax number: 020 7944 2212 Email address: [email protected]
9.3. When responding, please state whether you are responding as an individual or representing the views of an organisation. If responding on behalf of a larger organisation please make it clear who the organisation represents, and where applicable, how the views of members were assembled.
9.4. A list of those consulted is attached at Annex B. If you have any suggestions of others who may wish to be involved in this process please contact us.
9.5. Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).
9.6. If you want information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence.
20
9.7. In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.
9.8. The Department will process your personal data in accordance with the DPA and in the majority of circumstances this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.
The Consultation Code of Practice
9.9. The consultation is being conducted in line with the Code or Practice on Consultation. The criteria are listed below; a full version of the Code of Practice on Consultation is available on the Better Regulation Executive web-site at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file47158.pdf.
9.10. If you consider that this consultation does not comply with the criteria or have comments about the consultation process please contact:
Giada Covallero Consultation Co-Ordinator Department for Transport Zone 1/31 Great Minster House London SW1P 4DR Phone number: 020 7944 5412 Fax number: 020 7944 2512 Email address: [email protected]
21
The Seven Consultation Criteria
1. When to consult: Formal consultation should take place at a stage when there is scope to influence the policy outcome.
2. Duration of consultation exercises: Consultations should normally last for at least 12 weeks with consideration given to longer timescales where feasible and sensible.
3. Clarity of scope and impact: Consultation documents should be clear about the consultation process, what is being proposed, the scope to influence and the expected costs and benefits of the proposals.
4. Accessibility of consultation exercises: Consultation exercises should be designed to be accessible to, and clearly targeted at, those people the exercise is intended to reach.
5. The burden of consultation: Keeping the burden of consultation to a minimum is essential if consultations are to be effective and if consultees’ buy-in to the process is to be obtained.
6. Responsiveness of consultation exercises: Consultation responses should be analysed carefully and clear feedback should be provided to participants following the consultation.
7. Capacity to consult: Officials running consultations should seek guidance in how to run an effective consultation exercise and share what they have learned from the experience.
22
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
Annex A: Exemplification of revised distribution
London and PTEs
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E5100 London All London 58.32 29.69 -28.63 E6342 PTE Greater Manchester 11.07 11.07 E6343 PTE Merseyside 6.86 8.01 1.15 E6344 PTE South Yorkshire 5.41 5.41 E6345 PTE Tyne And Wear 5.65 5.67 0.02 E6346 PTE West Midlands 12.99 12.99 E6347 PTE West Yorkshire 9.12 9.12
Unitaries
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E0101 Unitary Bath & North East Somerset 0.72 1.21 0.49
E0102 Unitary Bristol 1.91 1.91 E0103 Unitary South Gloucestershire 0.65 0.31 -0.34 E0104 Unitary North Somerset 0.56 0.73 0.17 E0201 Unitary Luton 0.53 1.30 0.77 E0202 Unitary Bedford 0.47 0.47 E0203 Unitary Central Bedfordshire 0.55 0.55 E0301 Unitary Bracknell Forest 0.26 0.26 E0302 Unitary West Berkshire 0.35 0.17 -0.18 E0303 Unitary Reading 0.97 0.97 E0304 Unitary Slough 0.37 1.08 0.71 E0305 Unitary Windsor and Maidenhead 0.34 0.34 E0306 Unitary Wokingham 0.22 0.22 E0401 Unitary Milton Keynes 0.78 0.78 E0501 Unitary Peterborough 0.75 1.47 0.72 E0601 Unitary Halton 0.33 0.33 E0602 Unitary Warrington 0.69 1.19 0.50 E0603 Unitary Cheshire East 1.01 1.01 E0604 Unitary Cheshire West and Chester 1.17 1.17 E0701 Unitary Hartlepool 0.35 0.35 E0702 Unitary Middlesbrough 0.60 0.60 E0703 Unitary Redcar and Cleveland 0.39 0.45 0.06 E0704 Unitary Stockton-on-Tees 0.68 0.68
23
0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E0801 Unitary Cornwall 3.48 3.48 E1001 Unitary Derby 0.98 3.85 2.87 E1101 Unitary Plymouth 1.11 1.11 E1102 Unitary Torbay 1.03 1.62 0.59 E1201 Unitary Poole 0.63 0.63 E1202 Unitary Bournemouth 1.18 1.25 0.07 E1301 Unitary Darlington 0.51 1.35 0.84 E1302 Unitary Durham 1.55 1.55 E1401 Unitary Brighton & Hove 1.80 1.80 E1501 Unitary Southend-on-Sea 0.65 0.31 -0.34 E1502 Unitary Thurrock 0.48 0.25 -0.23 E1701 Unitary Portsmouth 0.88 0.88 E1702 Unitary Southampton 1.11 1.11 E1801 Unitary Herefordshire 0.57 0.69 0.12 E2001 Unitary East Riding of Yorkshire 0.88 0.88 E2002 Unitary Kingston upon Hull 1.32 1.95 0.63 E2003 Unitary North East Lincolnshire 0.63 0.63 E2004 Unitary North Lincolnshire 0.43 0.51 0.08 E2101 Unitary Isle of Wight Council 0.89 1.78 0.89 E2201 Unitary Medway 0.70 0.70 E2301 Unitary Blackburn with Darwen 0.52 0.52 E2302 Unitary Blackpool 1.44 2.32 0.88 E2401 Unitary Leicester 1.62 2.35 0.73 E2402 Unitary Rutland 0.08 0.08 E2701 Unitary York 1.17 1.54 0.37 E2901 Unitary Northumberland 1.12 1.25 0.13 E3001 Unitary Nottingham 2.06 4.37 2.31 E3201 Unitary Telford and the Wrekin 0.54 0.54 E3202 Unitary Shropshire 0.93 0.93 E3401 Unitary Stoke-on-Trent 0.99 1.18 0.19 E3901 Unitary Swindon 0.76 0.76 E3902 Unitary Wiltshire 1.19 1.19 E4001 Unitary Isles of Scilly 0.05 0.05
Districts
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E0431 Buckinghamshire Aylesbury Vale 0.38 0.22 -0.16 E0432 Buckinghamshire Chiltern 0.17 0.08 -0.09 E0434 Buckinghamshire South Bucks 0.17 0.17
24
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E0435 Buckinghamshire Wycombe 0.38 0.38 E0531 Cambridgeshire Cambridge 0.68 1.99 1.31 E0532 Cambridgeshire East Cambridgeshire 0.15 0.08 -0.07 E0533 Cambridgeshire Fenland 0.23 0.23 E0536 Cambridgeshire South Cambridgeshire 0.19 0.09 -0.10 E0551 Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire 0.36 0.48 0.12 E0931 Cumbria Allerdale 0.54 0.54 E0932 Cumbria Barrow-in-Furness 0.38 0.18 -0.20 E0933 Cumbria Carlisle 0.52 0.54 0.02 E0934 Cumbria Copeland 0.22 0.11 -0.11 E0935 Cumbria Eden 0.36 0.24 -0.12 E0936 Cumbria South Lakeland 0.90 0.93 0.03 E1031 Derbyshire Amber Valley 0.31 0.33 0.02 E1032 Derbyshire Bolsover 0.17 0.17 E1033 Derbyshire Chesterfield 0.44 2.27 1.83 E1035 Derbyshire Derbyshire Dales 0.30 0.15 -0.15 E1036 Derbyshire Erewash 0.29 0.79 0.50 E1037 Derbyshire High Peak 0.28 0.13 -0.15 E1038 Derbyshire North East Derbyshire 0.16 0.16 E1039 Derbyshire South Derbyshire 0.15 0.07 -0.08 E1131 Devon East Devon 0.60 0.60 E1132 Devon Exeter 0.68 2.33 1.65 E1133 Devon Mid Devon 0.19 0.09 -0.10 E1134 Devon North Devon 0.70 0.39 -0.31 E1136 Devon South Hams 0.42 0.21 -0.21 E1137 Devon Teignbridge 0.52 0.25 -0.27 E1139 Devon Torridge 0.26 0.13 -0.13 E1140 Devon West Devon 0.20 0.11 -0.09 E1232 Dorset Christchurch 0.22 0.22 E1233 Dorset East Dorset 0.19 0.09 -0.10 E1234 Dorset North Dorset 0.19 0.09 -0.10 E1236 Dorset Purbeck 0.23 0.12 -0.11 E1237 Dorset West Dorset 0.48 0.32 -0.16 E1238 Dorset Weymouth and Portland 0.49 0.49 E1432 East Sussex Eastbourne 0.51 0.98 0.47 E1433 East Sussex Hastings 0.45 0.64 0.19 E1435 East Sussex Lewes 0.23 0.11 -0.12 E1436 East Sussex Rother 0.31 0.19 -0.12 E1437 East Sussex Wealden 0.29 0.14 -0.15 E1531 Essex Basildon 0.49 0.49 E1532 Essex Braintree 0.29 0.29 E1533 Essex Brentwood 0.17 0.17 E1534 Essex Castle Point 0.22 0.22 E1535 Essex Chelmsford 0.43 0.43 E1536 Essex Colchester 0.57 0.57 E1537 Essex Epping Forest 0.25 0.12 -0.13 E1538 Essex Harlow 0.37 0.37
25
0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E1539 Essex Maldon 0.13 0.13 E1540 Essex Rochford 0.15 0.15 E1542 Essex Tendring 0.50 0.50 E1544 Essex Uttlesford 0.15 0.09 -0.06 E1631 Gloucestershire Cheltenham 0.55 0.64 0.09 E1632 Gloucestershire Cotswold 0.30 0.22 -0.08 E1633 Gloucestershire Forest of Dean 0.18 0.18 E1634 Gloucestershire Gloucester 0.53 0.53 E1635 Gloucestershire Stroud 0.25 0.25 E1636 Gloucestershire Tewkesbury 0.14 0.14 E1731 Hampshire Basingstoke and Deane 0.36 0.38 0.02 E1732 Hampshire East Hampshire 0.22 0.11 -0.11 E1733 Hampshire Eastleigh 0.32 0.32 E1734 Hampshire Fareham 0.29 0.74 0.45 E1735 Hampshire Gosport 0.20 0.20 E1736 Hampshire Hart 0.15 0.07 -0.08 E1737 Hampshire Havant 0.34 0.17 -0.17 E1738 Hampshire New Forest 0.52 0.52 E1740 Hampshire Rushmoor 0.30 0.39 0.09 E1742 Hampshire Test Valley 0.24 0.25 0.01 E1743 Hampshire Winchester 0.27 0.27 E1931 Hertfordshire Broxbourne 0.22 0.40 0.18 E1932 Hertfordshire Dacorum 0.33 0.33 E1933 Hertfordshire East Hertfordshire 0.28 0.28 E1934 Hertfordshire Hertsmere 0.22 0.22 E1935 Hertfordshire North Hertfordshire 0.29 0.29 E1936 Hertfordshire St Albans 0.36 0.20 -0.16 E1937 Hertfordshire Stevenage 0.35 0.36 0.01 E1938 Hertfordshire Three Rivers 0.13 0.13 E1939 Hertfordshire Watford 0.46 0.60 0.14 E1940 Hertfordshire Welwyn Hatfield 0.27 0.27 E2231 Kent Ashford 0.37 0.20 -0.17 E2232 Kent Canterbury 0.57 0.83 0.26 E2233 Kent Dartford 0.42 0.42 E2234 Kent Dover 0.35 0.35 E2236 Kent Gravesham 0.29 0.45 0.16 E2237 Kent Maidstone 0.47 0.47 E2239 Kent Sevenoaks 0.24 0.12 -0.12 E2240 Kent Shepway 0.36 0.40 0.04 E2241 Kent Swale 0.31 0.15 -0.16 E2242 Kent Thanet 0.55 0.81 0.26 E2243 Kent Tonbridge and Malling 0.26 0.13 -0.13 E2244 Kent Tunbridge Wells 0.35 0.44 0.09 E2333 Lancashire Burnley 0.35 0.49 0.14 E2334 Lancashire Chorley 0.29 0.73 0.44 E2335 Lancashire Fylde 0.29 0.62 0.33 E2336 Lancashire Hyndburn 0.34 0.34
26
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E2337 Lancashire Lancaster 0.51 1.20 0.69 E2338 Lancashire Pendle 0.28 0.14 -0.14 E2339 Lancashire Preston 0.62 1.82 1.20 E2340 Lancashire Ribble Valley 0.16 0.16 E2341 Lancashire Rossendale 0.22 0.22 E2342 Lancashire South Ribble 0.28 0.13 -0.15 E2343 Lancashire West Lancashire 0.26 0.32 0.06 E2344 Lancashire Wyre 0.34 0.45 0.11 E2431 Leicestershire Blaby 0.19 0.32 0.13 E2432 Leicestershire Charnwood 0.37 0.18 -0.19 E2433 Leicestershire Harborough 0.15 0.10 -0.05 E2434 Leicestershire Hinckley and Bosworth 0.19 0.42 0.23 E2436 Leicestershire Melton 0.11 0.11 E2437 Leicestershire North West Leicestershire 0.19 0.41 0.22 E2438 Leicestershire Oadby and Wigston 0.18 0.29 0.11 E2531 Lincolnshire Boston 0.20 0.23 0.03 E2532 Lincolnshire East Lindsey 0.96 0.96 E2533 Lincolnshire Lincoln 0.57 0.77 0.20 E2534 Lincolnshire North Kesteven 0.16 0.16 E2535 Lincolnshire South Holland 0.19 0.19 E2536 Lincolnshire South Kesteven 0.40 0.19 -0.21 E2537 Lincolnshire West Lindsey 0.15 0.08 -0.07 E2631 Norfolk Breckland 0.31 0.15 -0.16 E2632 Norfolk Broadland 0.24 0.11 -0.13 E2633 Norfolk Great Yarmouth 0.84 1.03 0.19
E2634 Norfolk Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 0.53 0.53
E2635 Norfolk North Norfolk 0.51 0.28 -0.23 E2636 Norfolk Norwich 0.94 2.35 1.41 E2637 Norfolk South Norfolk 0.22 0.45 0.23 E2731 North Yorkshire Craven 0.22 0.27 0.05 E2732 North Yorkshire Hambleton 0.25 0.26 0.01 E2734 North Yorkshire Richmondshire 0.19 0.19 E2736 North Yorkshire Scarborough 0.88 1.26 0.38 E2753 North Yorkshire Harrogate 0.59 1.07 0.48 E2755 North Yorkshire Ryedale 0.22 0.24 0.02 E2757 North Yorkshire Selby 0.18 0.18 E2831 Northamptonshire Corby 0.17 0.28 0.11 E2832 Northamptonshire Daventry 0.11 0.20 0.09 E2833 Northamptonshire East Northamptonshire 0.14 0.26 0.12 E2834 Northamptonshire Kettering 0.23 0.60 0.37 E2835 Northamptonshire Northampton 0.71 0.71 E2836 Northamptonshire South Northamptonshire 0.14 0.08 -0.06 E2837 Northamptonshire Wellingborough 0.19 0.35 0.16 E3031 Nottinghamshire Ashfield 0.30 0.45 0.15 E3032 Nottinghamshire Bassetlaw 0.30 0.30 E3033 Nottinghamshire Broxtowe 0.31 0.33 0.02
27
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00 0.00
0.00
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E3034 Nottinghamshire Gedling 0.32 0.32 E3035 Nottinghamshire Mansfield 0.40 0.69 0.29 E3036 Nottinghamshire Newark and Sherwood 0.29 0.29 E3038 Nottinghamshire Rushcliffe 0.20 0.23 0.03 E3131 Oxfordshire Cherwell 0.45 0.30 -0.15 E3132 Oxfordshire Oxford 0.86 3.14 2.28 E3133 Oxfordshire South Oxfordshire 0.33 0.20 -0.13 E3134 Oxfordshire Vale of White Horse 0.27 0.49 0.22 E3135 Oxfordshire West Oxfordshire 0.27 0.13 -0.14 E3331 Somerset Mendip 0.33 0.33 E3332 Somerset Sedgemoor 0.39 0.39 E3333 Somerset Taunton Deane 0.41 0.41 E3334 Somerset South Somerset 0.40 0.40 E3335 Somerset West Somerset 0.30 0.15 -0.15 E3431 Staffordshire Cannock Chase 0.35 0.35 E3432 Staffordshire East Staffordshire 0.35 0.43 0.08 E3433 Staffordshire Lichfield 0.21 0.21 E3434 Staffordshire Newcastle-under-Lyme 0.30 0.37 0.07 E3435 Staffordshire South Staffordshire 0.15 0.15 E3436 Staffordshire Stafford 0.36 0.55 0.19 E3437 Staffordshire Staffordshire Moorlands 0.23 0.26 0.03 E3439 Staffordshire Tamworth 0.34 0.34 E3531 Suffolk Babergh 0.23 0.11 -0.12 E3532 Suffolk Forest Heath 0.18 0.11 -0.07 E3533 Suffolk Ipswich 0.62 0.62 E3534 Suffolk Mid Suffolk 0.14 0.14 E3535 Suffolk St Edmundsbury 0.31 0.20 -0.11 E3536 Suffolk Suffolk Coastal 0.32 0.16 -0.16 E3537 Suffolk Waveney 0.44 0.58 0.14 E3631 Surrey Elmbridge 0.30 0.14 -0.16 E3632 Surrey Epsom and Ewell 0.20 0.11 -0.09 E3633 Surrey Guildford 0.37 0.87 0.50 E3634 Surrey Mole Valley 0.20 0.11 -0.09 E3635 Surrey Reigate and Banstead 0.27 0.27 E3636 Surrey Runnymede 0.17 0.10 -0.07 E3637 Surrey Spelthorne 0.26 0.12 -0.14 E3638 Surrey Surrey Heath 0.21 0.49 0.28 E3639 Surrey Tandridge 0.15 0.07 -0.08 E3640 Surrey Waverley 0.28 0.28 E3641 Surrey Woking 0.27 0.34 0.07 E3731 Warwickshire North Warwickshire 0.09 0.09 E3732 Warwickshire Nuneaton and Bedworth 0.36 0.36 E3733 Warwickshire Rugby 0.23 0.23 E3734 Warwickshire Stratford-on-Avon 0.36 0.47 0.11 E3735 Warwickshire Warwick 0.42 0.42 E3831 West Sussex Adur 0.18 0.08 -0.10 E3832 West Sussex Arun 0.42 0.62 0.20
28
0.00 0.00
0.00
Unique ID
Upper tier Local Authority Name
Original 10/11
Special Grant
Funding
New Distribution
10/11 Special Grant
Funding
Difference
E3833 West Sussex Chichester 0.38 0.52 0.14 E3834 West Sussex Crawley 0.34 0.34 E3835 West Sussex Horsham 0.26 0.52 0.26 E3836 West Sussex Mid Sussex 0.28 0.28 E3837 West Sussex Worthing 0.38 1.04 0.66 E1831 Worcestershire Bromsgrove 0.18 0.27 0.09 E1835 Worcestershire Redditch 0.24 0.24 E1837 Worcestershire Worcester 0.41 0.54 0.13 E1838 Worcestershire Wychavon 0.28 0.33 0.05 E1839 Worcestershire Wyre Forest 0.30 0.97 0.67 E1851 Worcestershire Malvern Hills 0.18 0.19 0.01
29
Annex B: List of those consulted
Age Concern
All 263 English TCAs outside London
All Government Office Regions
Arriva
Association for Transport Coordinating Officers (ATCO)
BGOP Better Government for Older People
Bus Users UK
Campaign for Better Transport (formerly Transport 2000)
Community Transport Association
Concessionary Fares Working Group Members
Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)
Council of the Isles of Scilly
Deaf Blind UK
Disability Charities Consortium (DCC)
Disability Rights Commission (DRCC)
Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC)
English county councils
English metropolitan boroughs
Epilepsy Action
First Group
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
Go Ahead
Help the Aged
30
Joint Committee on the Mobility of Blind and Partially-Sighted People (JCMBPS)
Joint Committee on the Mobility of Disabled People (JCMD)
Local Government Association (LGA)
London Boroughs and the Common Council of the City of London
London Councils
London Travel Watch
MCL Consultants
Mind
National Federation of the Blind UK
National Pensioners Convention
Northern Ireland Assembly
Passenger Focus
Passenger Transport Executive Group (PTEG)
Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)
Royal National Institute for the Deaf
Scottish Government
Sense
Stagecoach
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Transport 2000
Transport for London
Transport Scotland
National Express Group
Welsh Assembly Government
31
