House of Commons Public Bill Committee Proceedings

House of Commons

Session 2006 - 07
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Other Bills before Parliament

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
8

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Clause Agreed to.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  35

Clause  8,  page  7,  line  6,  at end add—

‘(5)
The Secretary of State may by order, amend section 93 of the Transport Act 1985

to require the provision of flexible alternative forms of concession, including for

use on community transport.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Mr David Clelland

Not called  6

Clause  9,  page  7,  line  28,  at end insert—

‘(aa)
enabling the Secretary of State to reimburse travel concession authorities

where they incur a deficit of over £500,000 as a result of reimbursing

individual operators under this Act.’.

Clause Agreed to.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Withdrawn  13

Clause  10,  page  8,  line  31,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  14

Clause  10,  page  8,  line  38,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Clause Agreed to.

Andrew George

Paul Rowen

Withdrawn  3

Clause  11,  page  10,  line  19,  after ‘10’, insert ‘, [Application to Isles of Scilly]’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
9

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Andrew George

Paul Rowen

Not called  4

Clause  11,  page  10,  line  22,  after ‘8’, insert ‘or [Application to Isles of Scilly]’.

Clause Agreed to.

Clauses 12 and 13 Agreed to.

Gillian Merron

Agreed to  1

Schedule  2,  page  13,  line  22,  at end insert—

‘1A
In section 98 (travel concession schemes: further provisions with respect to

participation notices), after subsection (4) insert—

“(4A)
But if the participation notice was served on the person by one or more

authorities in England only—

(a)
subsection (3) above shall have effect as if for “twenty-eight

days beginning with the date of the participation notice” there

were substituted “fifty-six days beginning with the date

provided for in relation to the participation notice by virtue of

section 97(5)(a) above”; and

(b)
subsection (4) above shall have effect as if for paragraph (a)

there were substituted—

“(a)
if the person is required by the participation notice to

give a prescribed number of days’ notice (or, if no

number of days is prescribed, seven days’ notice), at

least that number of days before the date of the notice

given to the Secretary of State under subsection (3)

above; or”.”’.

Schedule, as amended, Agreed to.

Schedule 3 Agreed to.

Clauses 14 and 15 Agreed to.

Andrew George

Paul Rowen

Not called  5

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  16,  leave out ‘Bus’.

Gillian Merron

Agreed to  2

Clause  16,  page  11,  line  17,  leave out subsection (2).

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
10

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Clause, as amended, Agreed to.

New ClauseS

Application to Isles of Scilly

Andrew George

Paul Rowen

Not called  NC1

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
This Act, in its application to the Isles of Scilly, has effect subject to such

exceptions, adaptations and modifications as the Secretary of State may by order

prescribe.

(2)
In particular, an order under subsection (1) may—

(a)
provide for the application of this Act to water-borne public passenger

transport services;

(b)
amend the categories of person who are entitled to concessionary travel

under this Act.’.

Reimbursement of travel concession authorities

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Not called  nc2

To move the following Clause:—

‘After section 149 of the 2000 Act (Reimbursement of operators) insert—

“149A
Reimbursement of travel concession authorities

(1)
Where a travel concession authority has responsibility for the

administration of mandatory travel concessions under section 145A,

including the administration and issuing of permits under section

145A(4) and the reimbursement of operators under section 149, the

Secretary of State shall reimburse the authority the full costs of

administering mandatory travel concessions by means of a direct annual

revenue grant.

(2)
The Secretary of State shall reserve a proportion of the funding allocated

to the mandatory travel concession scheme to provide a contingency

fund.

(3)
A contingency fund under subsection (2) shall be used to reimburse any

travel concession authority for any unforeseen capital and set up costs

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
11

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

incurred by that authority in introducing a scheme to comply with this

section.”’.

Concessionary Bus Fares Council

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

Withdrawn  nc3

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
There shall be a Concessionary Bus Fares Council.

(2)
The Concessionary Bus Fares Council shall comprise—

(a)
representatives from passenger user groups,

(b)
representatives from local authorities,

(c)
representatives from the Department for Transport, and

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

(3)
The Concessionary Bus Fares Council shall undertake the following functions—

(a)
determining a framework for eligible services,

(b)
determining a pricing framework for the reimbursement of operators,

(c)
overseeing the introduction of any national smart card scheme,

(d)
undertaking other roles as determined by the Secretary of State.

(4)
Before performing the functions set out in subsection (3) the Concessionary Bus

Fares Council shall consult—

(a)
the Secretary of State,

(b)
local authorities,

(c)
operators,

(d)
passenger groups, and

(e)
such other persons as the council sees fit.’.

Review of reimbursement arrangements

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Negatived on division  nc4

To move the following Clause:—

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

conduct a review of arrangements for allocating funding to local authorities

necessary for the reimbursement of operators under section 3(2) of this Act, and

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

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5th June 2007
12

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill–[ [], continued

Funding statement

Stephen Hammond

Mr Lee Scott

Andrew Rosindell

Negatived on division  nc5

To move the following Clause:—

‘At the end of each financial year after the commencement of this Act the

Secretary of State shall make a statement to Parliament setting out—

(a)
the total sum of funds made available to local authorities for the purposes

of providing bus services and concessionary fares thereon in the financial

year just ended, and

(b)
the method by which those funds have been made available.’.

Ordered, That certain written evidence already reported to the House be appended to

the proceedings of the Committee.    —(Gillian Merron.)

Bill, as amended, to be reported.