Clause 2
Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords]
12:00 pm
Paul Rowen (Shadow Minister, Transport; Rochdale, Liberal Democrat)
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the clause and to ask the Minister about the paragraph concerning the Isles of Scilly. I am sure that she is aware that under equivalent legislation operating in Scotland, if someone is travelling from, say, the Shetland Isles to the mainland, the ferry journey is eligible, which allows them to access bus journeys on the mainland. The Bill does not provide for a similar extension of services for residents of, for example, the Isles of Scilly, where there are no bus services. Clearly, they cannot use their concessionary bus passes on the ferry. I hope that she accepts that a concession similar to that granted in Scotland, under which people can use ferries to get to buses, might offer a welcome extension for residents of places such as the Isles of Scilly.