Clause 1 - Carrying of guide dogs, hearing dogs and other assistance dogs
Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc.) Bill
11:15 am
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow, Labour)
I take the hon. Gentleman's point; we do not want to leave loopholes in the Bill. The meaning of ''prescribed'' is as in the Disability Discrimination Act. The Secretary of State has the power, through statutory instruments, to define the organisations covered. I do not want the Bill to include a list that would have to be amended in primary legislation, if for example, new organisations were to be included.
Dual-purpose dogs should not be a problem provided that they come within one of the categories. It would make no difference if they fell within two of the categories.
With the amendments, the section will still include references to the disabled person having a disability that consists of epilepsy or otherwise affects his mobility or manual dexterity. Those phrases will remain in the measure, which is pretty much a catch-all one. I understand what the hon. Gentleman said about definitions and creating loopholes, but I do not think that there are any in the proposal. However, before Report I will ensure that the Bill contains no unnecessary loopholes.
Amendment agreed to.
Amendments made: No. 6, in page 2, line 22, leave out from beginning to 'which' in line 24 and insert
'—
(a) has been trained to guide a blind person;
(b) has been trained to assist a deaf person;
(c) has been trained by a prescribed charity to assist a disabled person who has a disability'
No. 7, in page 2, line 28, leave out from 'objects' to end of line 33.
No. 8, in page 2, line 33, at end insert
''driver'' means a person who holds a licence granted under—
(a) section 13 of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 (c. 34) (''the 1998 Act'');
(b) section 51 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (c. 57) (''the 1976 Act''); or
(c) an equivalent provision of a local enactment;
''licensing authority'', in relation to any area of England and Wales, means the authority responsible for licensing private hire vehicles in that area;
''operator'' means a person who holds a licence granted under—
(a) section 3 of the 1998 Act;
(b) section 55 of the 1976 Act; or
(c) an equivalent provision of a local enactment;
''private hire vehicle'' means a vehicle licensed under—
(a) section 6 of the 1998 Act;
(b) section 48 of the 1976 Act; or
(c) an equivalent provision of a local enactment.'.—[Mr. Gerrard.]
Clause 1, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.