Clause
69
Power
to confer non-rail functions on the Rail Passengers
Council
Question
proposed, That the clause stand part of the
Bill.
Ms
Winterton:
There is just one small point that I would like
to make about clause 69. Our consultation on strengthening the
representation of bus passengers raised the issue of other public
transport modes. A number of respondents to the consultation, including
the Campaign for Better Transport, highlighted the importance of
ensuring a statutory voice for light rail and tram passengers, as well
as for bus users, and they suggested that any public transport watchdog
should
be able to look across modes of transport, so that passengers
end-to-end journeys were looked at as a whole. We need to examine the
issue a little further, but I should like to give the Committee notice
that it is one that the Government may wish to return to on Report,
specifically in relation to light rail and tram
passengers.
Question
put and agreed
to.
Clause 69
ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Clause
70
Power
to require display of certain
information
Question
proposed, That the clause stand part of the
Bill.
Mr.
Knight:
I shall be very brief. The clause gives a very
wide power. It uses the
words
in such place or
places and in such manner as may be prescribed.
Clearly, the clause gives power to
determine both the method of publicity and what information is
published, but just as importantly, the language that the information
is published in. I am well aware and expect as a sop to the Welsh that,
in Wales, we would need to have any leaflet or document published in
English and Welsh. However, the one area that the present Prime
Minister is right is in his campaign for Britishness and I hope that,
in respect of any information published in
England
Mrs.
Siân C. James (Swansea, East) (Lab): Will the right
hon. Gentleman give
way?
Mr.
Knight:
I suppose that I asked for
this.
Mrs.
James:
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way. It
is worth noting that, despite the need to produce all material
bilingually, we are still loyal citizens of the British isles. I feel
that it would be very generous of Conservative Members to recognise the
great gift that the Welsh language is to this nation and to Great
Britain as a
whole.
Mr.
Knight:
I never doubted the hon. Ladys loyalty for
one moment. If my remarks gave that impression, that was not
intentional. However, the Prime Minister has made a good point about
promoting Britishness, and I hope that this burdenit will be a
burdenwill not be too onerous and that it will suffice in
England for any document published to be published in English
only.
Ms
Winterton:
To clarify the situation, one of the issues
that came up over and over again in consultation was that passengers
felt that they did not know who they should complain to when a service
was bad, and the idea behind the clause is to ensure consistency in the
information that is available. With regard to the England versus Wales
match, we are trying to ensure that passengers using services that
cross between England and Wales have access to the correct
information.
The power is worded such that
operators would be required to display information relevant to
passengers in whichever jurisdiction. So buses used on cross-border
services would need to display information about the procedures in both
England and Wales. I recognise that that might mean a little
duplication for operators, but it will mean that passengers have access
at all times to the information that they need. It would be for Welsh
Ministers to make any regulations in Wales under clause 70.
Question put and agreed
to.
Clause 70
ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Clause
s
71 and 72
ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Schedule 4
agreed to.
Further
consideration adjourned.[Mr.
Watts.]
Adjourned
accordingly at nineteen minutes to Eight oclock till Thursday 8
May at Nine
oclock.
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