1537

House of Commons

Thursday 28th June 2007

Consideration of Bill

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords], As Amended

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new clauses

Reimbursement of travel concession authorities

Philip Davies

nc1

To move the following Clause:—

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

“149A

Reimbursement of travel concession authorities

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

to the mandatory travel concession scheme to provide a contingency

fund.”’.

Local authority funding

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

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

Secretary of State shall lay a report before 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;

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

Consideration of Bill: 28th June 2007

1538

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords], continued

Review of reimbursement arrangements

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

NC3

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.’.

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

8

Page  1,  line  19  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

‘(d)	is taken on a service which has three or more stops on its route,

(e)	is not taken on a service where there is a commentary (live or recorded)

which is primarily provided for the purposes of tourism, and

(f)	is not taken on a service where there are one or more seats bookable in

advance.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

1

Page  2,  line  14  [Clause  1],  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.’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

2

Page  2,  line  14  [Clause  1],  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.’.

Consideration of Bill: 28th June 2007

1539

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords], continued

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

6

Page  2,  line  14  [Clause  1],  at end insert—

‘(4A)

For the purposes of this section a disabled person is a person who—

(a)	is blind or partially sighted,

(b)	is profoundly or severely deaf,

(c)	is without speech,

(d)	has a disability, or has suffered an injury, which has a substantial and

long-term adverse effect on his ability to walk,

(e)	does not have arms or has long-term loss of both arms,

(f)	has a learning disability, that is, a state of arrested or incomplete

development of mind which includes significant impairment of

intelligence and social functioning, or

(g)	would be defined as having a mental impairment which has a substantial

and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out day-to-day

activities in accordance with section 1 of the Disability Discrimination

Act 1995 as amended, or

(h)	would, if he applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle

under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988, have his application refused

pursuant to section 92 of that Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the

ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol,’.

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

9

Page  2,  line  30  [Clause  1],  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Philip Davies

5

Page  3,  line  27  [Clause  3],  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).”’.

Consideration of Bill: 28th June 2007

1540

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords], continued

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

10

Page  4,  line  18  [Clause  4],  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

3

Page  6,  line  15  [Clause  7],  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.”.’.

Jim Cousins

14

Page  7,  line  8  [Clause  9],  after ‘may’, insert ‘, and for the purposes of the national

statutory concession shall,’.

Jim Cousins

15

Page  7,  line  24  [Clause  9],  after ‘may’, insert ‘, and for the purposes of the national

statutory concession shall.’.

Consideration of Bill: 28th June 2007

1541

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords], continued

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

11

Page  10,  line  39  [Clause  13],  leave out subsection (3).

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

12

Page  11,  line  1  [Clause  13],  leave out subsection (4).

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

13

Page  11,  line  6  [Clause  15],  leave out from ‘on’ to end of line 7 and insert ‘1st April

2008’.

Paul Rowen

Mr John Leech

4

Page  13,  line  18  [Schedule  1],  at end insert—

‘(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 14 days of being notified by Transport

for London apply to the Secretary of State to review the proposed

charge;

(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.”.’.

Stephen Hammond

Andrew Rosindell

Mr Lee Scott

7

Page  13,  line  18  [Schedule  1],  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 28 days of being notified by

Transport for London apply to the Secretary of State to review

the proposed charge; and

Consideration of Bill: 28th June 2007

1542

Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords], continued

(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.”.’.

Order of the House [14th May 2007]

That the following provisions shall apply to the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords]:

Committal

1.	The Bill shall be committed to a Public Bill Committee.

Proceedings in Public Bill Committee

2.	Proceedings in the Public Bill Committee shall (so far as not previously

concluded) be brought to a conclusion on 7th June 2007.

3.	The Public Bill Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on

which it meets.

Consideration and Third Reading

4.	Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the

day on which those proceedings are commenced.

5.	Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

6.	Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

Other proceedings

7.	Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on

consideration of any message from the Lords) may be programmed.

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Revised 28 June 2007