Govt melts on that Bill
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THE GOVERNMENT is prepared to be more flexible in its approt to setting protected expenditure limits for metropolitan cow councils under the new Transport Bill, Transport Under Secret Reg Eyre has told MPs.
The original intention had been to separate rail expenditure because different considerations applied, he said during the committee stage of the Bill which finished this week.
But following representations from local authorities and Labour MPs, he said: "We have come to the conclusion that such separation is unduly rigid and deprives authorities and executives of the flexibility which they need in planning the use of their resources."
Therefore, from the next financial year authorities will be able to switch resources between bus and rail services as they like within the overall total.
Mr Eyre also revealed that fol lowing talks with West Yorksl and Tyne and Wear Metrop tan County Councils, they pected to reach agreement that the two authorities wo be able to meet the GOVE ment's targets.
In West Yorkshire this I been achieved by switchi some money to general exp diture on bus services. 0 South Yorkshire and Merseys had so far failed to come up vi any proposals for modifying Government's original plans.