Clause 9 - Functions of the Committee
Transport (Wales) Bill
4:30 pm
Nick Ainger (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Labour)
As I was saying before our break, the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) was concerned about the independence of the public transport users committee for Wales. I was giving the example of the London transport users committee, which is funded by the London assembly, but which does not appear to have had the problems with its independence that the hon. Gentleman envisages for the Welsh transport users committee.
All that I can say is that the Welsh Assembly has no intention of usurping the committee’s independence. Why would it, anyway? The committee is a forum for users to express their concerns about, or support for, issues such as the strategy or parts of the new rail franchising arrangements. It would be in the Assembly’s interests to have a clear voice openly setting out transport users’ concerns. Experience shows that the London committee is effective and represents the views of public transport passengers, and I see no reason why that should not happen in Wales.
The hon. Gentleman also raised the issue of passengers who are resident in England but who use services in Wales. If they have a concern, or they refer a concern to a representative body in England, they or that body could make direct representations to the transport users committee for Wales, to the Assembly or to the relevant Committee of the Assembly. There are therefore channels by which a resident in England can make representations about their concerns. They can do that directly to the users committee, to the Minister with responsibility for the issue or to the Committee that scrutinises that Minister’s Department.
I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be reassured by my comments and that we can now move on to clause 10.