House of Commons Public Bill Committee Proceedings

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
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Other Bills before Parliament

1

House of Commons

Tuesday 5th June 2007

Public Bill Committee Proceedings

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords]

[first and second Sittings]

Gillian Merron

Agreed to

That—

(1)
the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday

5th June) meet—

(a)
at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 5th June;

(b)
at 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 7th June;

(2)
the proceedings shall be taken in the following order: Clauses 1 to 5;

Schedule 1; Clauses 6 to 13; Schedules 2 and 3; Clauses 14 to 16; new

Clauses; new Schedules; remaining proceedings on the Bill;

(3)
the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 7th June.

Gillian Merron

That, subject to the discretion of the Chairman, any written evidence received by the

Committee shall be reported to the House for publication.

Agreed to

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Withdrawn  7

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for the definition of

“eligible journey” to be extended to a journey on one train, underground train,

tram, ferry or community transport.’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
2

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Negatived on division  28

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
If a disabled person is unable to access mainstream public transport as a result of

the person’s impairment the travel concession authority in England shall mark

that clearly on the permit.

(2B)
Where a person whose current statutory travel concession permit is marked in

accordance with subsection (2A) the person shall be entitled to a waiver of the

fare for a journey when using a dial a ride vehicle, community transport service,

Hackney carriage vehicle or other door to door transport.

(2C)
The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to travel concession authorities in

England to which they shall have regard in determining for the purposes of

subsection (2A) whether a disabled person needs to travel by door to door

transport.

(2D)
Before issuing guidance under subsection (2C), the Secretary of State shall

consult—

(a)
the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee;

(b)
associations representative of travel concession authorities; and

(c)
such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  31

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for the definition of

“eligible journey” to exclude services which are primarily for the purposes of

tourism.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  32

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for the definition of

“eligible journey” to exclude services which have limited stops or are not

primarily local services.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  8

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  11,  at end insert—

‘(4A)
If a disabled person requires the assistance of a companion to travel on journeys

on public transport services, the travel concession authority in England other than

a London authority must mark that clearly on the permit.

(4B)
Where a person whose current statutory travel concession permit is marked in

accordance with subsection (4A) is entitled under this section to a waiver of the

fare for a journey, one companion travelling on the journey with the person (and

nominated by the person as the person’s companion for that journey) is also

entitled to a waiver of the fare for the journey.

(4C)
The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to travel concession authorities in

England to which they must have regard in determining for subsection (4A)

whether a disabled person needs a companion in order to travel.’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
3

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  10

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  11,  at end insert—

‘(4A)
For the purposes of this section a person whose ability to travel is impaired by a

mental disorder within the meaning of section 1 of the Mental Health Act 1983

shall be considered to be a disabled person.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Withdrawn  11

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  11,  at end insert—

‘(4A)
The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for persons aged 17

years and under and those in full time education to be entitled to the concession

specified in subsection (1).’.

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Withdrawn  17

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  17,  at end insert ‘, and

(c)
as is compliant with the ITSO standard, as detailed under Crown

copyright in 2004.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  9

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  22,  leave out ‘subsection (6)’ and insert ‘subsections (4C)

and (6).’.

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Not called  15

Clause  1,  page  3,  line  2,  at end add—

‘(12)
Two years after the commencement of this Act the Secretary of State shall

conduct a review of the definition of an “eligible service” and shall lay before

Parliament a report setting out his findings.’.

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  18

Clause  1,  page  3,  line  2,  at end add—

‘(12)
The Secretary of State shall by regulations specify arrangements for the purposes

of fraud prevention.

(13)
Regulations under subsection (12) may include—

(a)
provisions for a national database of permits;

(b)
requirements for travel concession authorities to provide information

about permits and permit holders; and

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
4

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

(c)
requirements for travel concession authorities and operators to take such

steps as are practicable to prevent the use of permits which are not valid.’.

Mr David Clelland

Not selected  37

Clause  1,  page  3,  line  2,  at end add—

‘(12)
The Secretary of State may issue guidance to travel concession authorities in

England to which they must have regard in determining which services can be

excluded from the national concession.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mr David Clelland

Not selected  36

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  5,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
In the definition of “eligible service” for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b)
after that time, a bus service of a class specified by a travel

concession authority.”.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Withdrawn  16

Clause  3,  page  3,  line  25,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
Two years after the commencement of this Act the Secretary of State shall

conduct a review into the reimbursement of operators by travel concession

authorities and shall lay before Parliament a report setting out his findings.’.

Mr David Clelland

Withdrawn  20

Clause  3,  page  3,  line  25,  at end insert—

‘(2A)
After subsection (1) (as substituted by subsection (2) above) insert—

“(1A)
The Secretary of State shall provide to each travel concession authority

in England by means of a direct annual revenue grant sufficient funding

for the authority to comply with its obligation to reimburse operators

under subsection (1).”.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
5

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Withdrawn  21

Clause  4,  page  4,  line  4,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
In subsection (1) for “subsection (3) below” substitute “subsections (1A) and (3)

below”.

(1B)
After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A)
The London Authorities shall enter into arrangements with Transport for

London under subsection (1) above in respect of journeys falling within

section 241(2) below.”.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  12

Clause  4,  page  4,  line  11,  at end insert—

‘(ba)
after sub-paragraph (ix) insert—

“(x)
whose ability to travel is impaired by a mental disorder

within the meaning of section 1 of the Mental Health Act

1983 shall be considered to be a disabled person.”’.

Clause Agreed to.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  22

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  25,  leave out subsection (2) and insert—

‘(2)
For subsection (1) substitute—

“(1)
If immediately before 1st January in any financial year it appears to

Transport for London that the arrangements under section 240(1) for

travel concessions for the next financial year—

(a)
do not meet the requirements of section 242 below as to scope,

and

(b)
do not meet the requirements of section 243 below as to

uniformity,


Transport for London shall notify the Secretary of State, and the

arrangements for the current financial year shall be carried forward with

such adjustments as the Secretary of State may in writing specify for the

purpose of ensuring that travel concessions are preserved for all eligible

England residents and that additional travel concessions are preserved for

eligible London residents.”.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  23

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  30,  after ‘(2)’, insert—

‘(a)
for “a particular local authority or” substitute “the”;

(b)
’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
6

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  24

Clause  5,  page  5,  line  2,  at end insert—

‘(5A)
Omit subsection (5).’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  25

Clause  5,  page  5,  line  4,  leave out subsection (7) and insert—

‘(7)
Omit Schedule 16 to the 1999 Act (the London free travel scheme).’.

Clause Agreed to.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  33

Schedule  1,  page  13,  line  7,  at end insert—

‘(1B)
The Secretary of State shall make such payments to London authorities as he

considers appropriate to ensure that permits in London meet the national standard

and can continue to be validated on vehicles operating on the London Bus

Network.’.

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Negatived on division  19

Schedule  1,  page  13,  line  18,  at end add—

    ‘(7)
After paragraph 5(7) insert—

  “(8)
Where a London authority considers the amount notified by

Transport for London under paragraph 5(1) to be excessive—

(a)
the authority may within 7 days of being notified by

Transport for London apply to the Secretary of State to

review the proposed charge; and

(b)
if the Secretary of State agrees that the proposed charge is

excessive, then he shall notify both Transport for London

and the authority of an alternative lower amount.”.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not selected  26

Page  12,  line  2,  leave out Schedule 1.

Schedule Agreed to.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
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Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  29

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  41,  at end insert—

‘(8C)
If a disabled person is unable to access mainstream public transport as a result of

their impairment the London travel concession authority shall mark that clearly

on the permit.

(8D)
Where a person whose current statutory travel concession permit is marked in

accordance with subsection (8C) they shall be entitled to a waiver of the fare for

a journey when using a dial a ride vehicle, community transport service, Hackney

carriage vehicle or other door to door transport.

(8E)
The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to travel concession authorities in

London to which they shall have regard in determining for the purposes of

subsection (8C) whether a disabled person needs to travel by door to door

transport.

(8F)
Before issuing guidance under subsection (8E) the Secretary of State shall

consult—

(a)
the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee;

(b)
associations representative of travel concession authorities; and

(c)
such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  27

Clause  7,  page  6,  line  15,  at end insert —

‘(3A)
After subsection (5) insert—

“(5A)
If a disabled person requires the assistance of a companion to travel on

journeys on public transport services, the London travel concession

authority must mark that clearly on the permit.

(5B)
Where a person whose current statutory travel concession permit is

marked in accordance with subsection (5A) is entitled under this section

to a waiver of the fare for a journey, one companion travelling on the

journey with the person (and nominated by the person as the person’s

companion for that journey) is also entitled to a waiver of the fare for the

journey.

(5C)
The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to travel concession

authorities in London to which they must have regard in determining for

the purposes of subsection (5A) whether a disabled person needs a

companion in order to travel.

(5D)
Before issuing guidance under subsection (5C) the Secretary of State

shall consult—

(a)
the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee;

(b)
associations representative of travel concession authorities; and

(c)
such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit.”.’.