(13 Apr 2018, 10:19 am)Andreos1 wrote Whilst the Home Office is ultimately responsible for divesting funds to the police forces around the country, it is up to the local PCC to allocate the funds as they see fit.
This also applies to any precept raised via council tax.
Regardless of how much or how little the Home Office allocates, that PCC will spend accordingly and look after issues they feel important.
Vera Baird has a particular agenda and allocates accordingly. Regardless whether we agree with it or not. This includes victims services, which strangely enough enabled her to award the contract to an organisation she is a director of.
I used to follow this stuff a lot closer, but now I feel most of the time I feel completely disconnected to what's happening and how the country is even being run. Not sure if this is passive or active ignorance.
I would have thought changing passenger fairs and reusing the VED else where or to improve systems, but hard to really say. I still don't think it will come close to actually happening, but that may just be my complete lack of confidence in any government system at present.
(13 Apr 2018, 11:20 am)Chris 1 wrote I can't say I've noticed a populist clamour for such a policy?
Young people aren't entitled to things like the full minimum wage so spend proportionately more of their lower income on travel. Plus, if they have free travel then they'll be less inclined to have their own car, thus easing congestion and relieving air quality. Surely that's a good thing?
My opinions are based on my experiences -- I bought bus passes and drove, so I can't relate to that point.
I don't think it'll deal with congestion either, or not in any noticable way. It'll maybe stop some new drivers starting, but wouldn't convert many to bus imo.
My idea was to subsidise fairs with VED in order to be cutting fairs and having more money free to invest back into the system or elsewhere.