Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the situation in England whereby the age of eligibility for an older person's bus pass is linked to the female state pension age; and if he will assess the potential merits of bringing such eligibility in line with the rest of the UK.

The Government has no current plans to review the age of eligibility for an older person’s concessionary bus pass. The age of eligibility for concessionary travel in England is rising in line with the state pension age changes. Equalising the age difference between men and women and increasing the age of entitlement to a concessionary travel pass will remove the anomalous position of non-disabled, working-age citizens receiving free bus passes, which in turn will help the financial sustainability of the scheme.

Concessionary travel is a devolved policy area, so the administrative arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ from those in England. Those differences, including age eligibility, were decided by and are funded by the devolved Governments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.